Photo by Nate Sturley

“Every single breath – a work of art / My mere existence is a part of the show,” sneers Tony Wolski into the electrical crush of “Everything’s Glitter”, the latest preview from the Armed’s new album, Perfect Saviors. The subversive performance hardcore band are surely doing their most to make us think they’ve dropped the bit leading into their anticipated fifth studio effort, Perfect Savior, but have they really? References to khaki towns, gods, idols, heartbreakers, and caricatures sure seems to suggest that the Detroit collective’s next page goes deep into the life of the pedestrian, and as some detractors have come quick to misfire, the Armed really aren’t sounding so much like the hardcore supergroup who brought artsy theatrics into the pit so much as they are a polished indie rock festival headliner, with Wolski’s howl resonating into the listen’s towering ether like a Strokes wave soundalike convinced that he must be the real deal. If only it weren’t for the fact he’s merely refracting off the ones who did it first. The listen still glitters, but it’s also a shattered hall of mirrors.

Directed by: Tony Wolski

The Armed’s Perfect Saviors will be released August 25th on Sargent House.