No Passion All Technique

Protomartyr’s debut is a striking blend of the bruising and abstract—think The Jesus Lizard misremembering a philosophy lecture, or The Stooges spouting stream-of-consciousness poetry. Opening with the bluesy, claustrophobic “In My Sphere,” <i>No Passion</i> plays like the blurry recollection of a pretty good night, stumbling through dim alleyways (“Feral Cats”) and cramped neighbourhood bars (“Jumbo’s”), punk-rock film noirs (“Ypsilanti”) and moments of sharp, disarming prettiness (“How He Lived After He Died”). Throughout, singer Joe Casey shouts from the margins like a street preacher who got lost on the way to his pulpit.