Record review: The Bingers - 'Rhymes w/ Fingers'

By Gene Wagendorf III   

Right on the heels of last year's rollicking Land Lobster, The Bingers are back with Rhymes w/ Fingers, a three-track EP out on Wiener Records. On it the trio combine scuzzy surf, Buddy Holly-swagger and patient intensity, taking a logical step forward from their last release while buffering all the qualities that made that one so much fun.

"In A Thought" rolls out on a lazy lick, splashing about in reverb and cymbal crashes through an elegant denouement. Smart percussion keeps the froth focused and gives the track's airy vocals a platform to linger over. The Bingers really hit their stride on the tune- where solos that start off rubbery and tightly controlled burst into a shower of glistening notes against the singer's echoed cries. The band sounds like they're playing as if their very existence is on the line, and that desperation serves them well. What might've shimmered as a simple if forgettable '50s prom ballad is rendered immeasurably magnetic in the hands of The Bingers.