Witching Waves Persistence

I'm just listening to Witching Waves previous albums trying to find out what my earlier enthusiasm was all about. Persistence initially sounds like a very lo-fi punk racket and that possibly doesn't sit in with my earlier Sonic Youth and Beat Happening comparisons. It's true that they've sped up considerably in the intervening years and perhaps lost some of the art from their art rock endeavours. Persistence is a snotty, relentlessly energetic album which sounds like the band have gone full back to basics with their sound  - possibly as a result of some pretty heavy touring. 

Like everything in the world it is better when tunes are added. The chorus of Eye 2 Eye is a fabulous shoutalong with moshpit excitement guaranteed and each track has a kind of live energy as if the band have set up in a grimy practice room and just blasted it out. But I'll admit it I'm missing their old clank. Their previous sound had a much more interesting sonic direction and variety of sound where they explored a series of textures. Persistence meanwhile is just a big lump. It will go down well at that Wharf Chambers Punk all-dayer but Witching Waves have regressed their sound away from my tastes in that they've gone from atmospheric post punk clatter to DIY pop simplicity... seemingly while my back was turned.