Opener “Pioneer Spine” gives listeners an idea of what they’re in for: The song’s verses are dark and swirling, like a tornado gaining speed. Sure enough, the chorus crashes down in a blur of distortion, with guitarist/vocalist Sadie Dupuis singing interrogation lines (“I want a name / Just mouth it, that’s fine”) in a fierce, buzzy style. The song is something of a litmus test for potential listeners: Those who like its menacing feel and sense of delayed gratification will love the rest of Major Arcana, an insanely enjoyable exercise in tension and release.
The tension-release ratio varies from song to song. In “Casper (1995),” Dupuis sings about demon-hunting while a tangle of guitars build and climb, reaching for the heightened chorus that features Dupuis singing background like an unleashed spirit seeking vengeance. Her lyrics, blank verse with horror-movie imagery (“Windows sweating blood, choking in on cue”), deepen the creeping discomfort.
By contrast, the tightly wound “Fun” is more explosion than fuse; its quiet intro snaps into a Strokes-like hum, followed by a streak of fuzzed-out guitars and lyrics about semi-regular fellatio. The mix may sound chaotic, but the song, like the rest of Major Arcana, is whip-smart and focused.
On the record’s centerpiece, the gorgeous waltz “No Below,” the quiet/loud ratio is perfectly balanced. The song begins with Dupuis’ shaky voice and a warbling guitar, and its catchy melody stands in contrast to the dark, fuzzy undercurrent provided by bassist Darl Ferm and drummer Mike Falcone. Dupuis and co-guitarist Matt Robidoux trade crunchy riffs as the storminess builds to a screechy, gloriously unhinged conclusion. That indelible melody, however, never gets lost in the mess; the members of Speedy Ortiz not only know how to write and play, they know how to arrange.
Just as these seemingly messy songs adhere in unexpected ways, a few others don’t entirely hold together. Nonetheless, Major Arcana is a markedly assured debut, one that makes Speedy Ortiz an act to watch. Like its songs, the band’s detonation is inevitable.
