Nathan Williams has been performing as Wavves for little more three years, but he’s managed to churn out a remarkable amount of brash, noise-damaged pop in that time. Nonetheless, his tastes for weed, tacky cartoon merchandise, and lyrics about boredom and self-loathing on the West Coast have marked the man who would be King Of The Beach as indie rock’s reigning slacker laureate. But like so many who have worn that thrift-store crown (and the perpetually rolling eyes that come with it) before him, Williams is poised to show the ambition hiding behind his souvenir Mickey Mouse sunglasses—in this case via Life Sux, a new Wavves’ EP which also happens to be the first release from Williams’ Ghost Ramp imprint. To have the press release heralding the EP tell it, Life Sux is a punk-rock narrative of two lost souls tugging at the constraints of their stifling surroundings, man—not too unlike David Comes To Life, the album-of-the-year contender from Life Sux co-conspirators Fucked Up. Wavves’ constant companion, Best Coast, appears as well, marking Life Sux with the proper amount of ear-grabbing hype and consolidated buzzband power—something you have to be concerned with when you’re moving from snot-nosed musical cut-up to mini-label mogul. Quick, someone send Williams a business suit with the Tasmanian Devil and the phrase “Back off!” embroidered on the lapels.
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