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Freeplay: Half Blind
By William Crook
wcrook@mscd.edu

Half Blind Fully Mastered, Properly Plastered (self -released, 2004)s

If you’re in the school of thought that punk rock needs a swift kick in the proverbial ass, you’re not alone. Not only does it need a blow to the backside, it needs a defibrillator. Spontaneity has been replaced with formula, angst with fashion and rebellion with money. Perhaps punk wasn’t dead in 1979 when Crass said it was, but it has at least been in intensive care.

However, if Half Blind’s Fully Mastered, Properly Plastered is any indication of the future of punk rock, then expect it to make a full recovery.

The self-defined “junk” – that is, jazz plus punk – band from Boulder has set out to breathe some much-needed fresh air into the emphysema-ridden lungs of punk rock. Drawing from a wide spectrum of musical traditions, Half Blind creates a musical party platter of styles, incorporating everything from somber jazz saxophone, piano sonatas and spoken word poetry to heavy guitar and frenetic drumming, resulting in something undeniably punk.

The song “One Note Undertow” represents the best example of this culmination of musical genres. It begins with a soft grand piano played over the ominous sounds of a helicopter flying over ocean waves. The sound effects are a bit cheesy, but they serve as an effective segue into the coming song, which is fast-paced punk at its finest. The vocals are raw, expressive and masterfully delivered by people who were obviously choir geeks in high school, judging by their artful use of harmonies falling into place neatly in front of the music. It’s definitely different, and maybe punk’s not dead. Maybe it’s just Half Blind.