Flux Hymns was borne out of a desire to be more patient and repetitive on songs, and that’s evident on “Terraform,” the opening cut from the St. Petersburg rock trio’s debut album, Shimmer. The six-and-a-half-minute track is a distorted, rhythmic meditation that changes moods halfway before unfurling into a buzzing wash of guitar.
The seven-track outing finds brothers Chris and Alex Nadeau, who were members of still-on-hiatus punk band Blast and the Detergents, linking up with Steve Jones (Yatuzi, Fevers, Like Nomads) and creating a generally indefinable sound that might, if we had to pick a lane, feel at home in any ‘90s grunge or math-rock fan’s record collection.
Chris Nadeau, bassist for St. Petersburg punk-band Permanent Makeup, sticks to guitar and vocals for Flux Hymns; Alex Nadeau and Jones trade off on bass and drums, sometimes mid-song. Shimmer was recorded live at the home Chris Nadeau shares with his wife and Permanent Makeup bandmade Susan Dickson-Nadeau. Overdubs were also recorded at the home before Permanent Makeup guitarist James Bess mixed and mastered the 36-minute record.
“We waited until we were very tight with the songs before recording,” Chris Nadeau told CL, adding that Flux Hymns also spent time backing a local funk singer in order to build up a certain comfort level. “We even played a one-off show at a tiki bar to showcase that version of the band.”
Flux Hymns celebrates the release of Shimmer on Saturday, April 27 when it plays support on a bill that includes touring bands Cheap City and Hermit High Priestess. Listen to the record below and get a free download code when you go to the show — happening at Lucky You Tattoo in St. Petersburg — this weekend. More information is available in CL’s latest DIY/local concert roundup.
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This article appears in Apr 25 – May 2, 2019.