London-based queer, garage-pop outfit Nun Habit just released their AA side single “Righteous Jerk/Slip n Slide.”
Made up of Emma, Greg, Kate, Rachel, and Selina, Nun Habit got together in 2016. Since then, they’ve performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, the Royal Albert Hall (sharing the stage with ILL), and Salford’s Sounds From The Other City, along with SRO, wild headlining shows at Paper Dress Vintage, The Victoria, The Amersham Arms, and DIY Space.
Along with the AA single, Nun Habit is launching a Kickstarter campaign to underwrite a vinyl pressing of their forthcoming debut album, Hedge Fun, slated to drop this summer. Produced by Ric James, the album was recorded over one weekend in Shadwell between lockdowns.
Nun Habit’s sound flouts neat categorization into one genre or another, simply because they spurn affixing themselves to a singular style. According to the band, “It’s more fun that way. Trust us.”
Citing influences as wide-ranging as Chastity Belt, Fleetwood Mac, Ex-Hex, Yo La Tengo, Nick Cave, Dry Cleaning, and Art Brut, it’s easy to see why Nun Habit eludes pigeonholing.
If pressed, you could probably describe their sound as lo-fi guitar pop with beaucoup fuzz.
“Righteous Jerk” starts off on sleazy, low-slung synths riding Ventures’ surf-pop-like percussion, followed by the entry of dual voices, emanating noir-laced tones fused with edgy textures. When the harmonics mousse up, the tune takes on iridescent layers of indie-pop, rife with post-punk energy and gleaming coloration.
A dazzling, fuzzed-out guitar solo injects the song with frenetic tension as if the nurse forgot to administer anxiolytics.
“Slip n Slide” opens on a soft, relentless platinum-flavored guitar backed by a whistling, flute-like tone. As the rhythm kicks in, a fat, rolling bassline and tight, crisp drums imbue the tune with balance. Greg’s voice gives the lyrics luscious, jaded timbres.
A thrumming, psychedelic breakdown precedes the music mounting to assume percolating iridescence as Greg’s vocals add depth and intensity.
Nun Habit has it going on! “Righteous Jerk” and “Slip n Slide” parade delicious lo-fi garage-pop savors, innovative and captivating. Hedge Fun promises to be a superlative album.
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