Album Review: Aye Nako's 'Silver Haze'

2017
12 songs
Length: 37:08
Available to buy from Bandcamp

Aye Nako are a four-piece pop-punk rock band from Brooklyn, New York. Self-described as a ‘queer punk band,’ Aye Nako write sad punk songs about being queer, trans and black. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Mars Dixon, bassist Joe McCann, guitarist Jade Payne, and drummer Sheena McGrath, the band formed in 2008 and self-released their first album, ‘Unleash Yourself’ in 2013. They followed up with the EP, ‘The Blackest Eye,’ in 2015, released through Don Giovanni Records. Their new album, ‘Silver Haze,’ is a fuzzed-out, melodic expression of what it’s like to be queer, black and American.

Aye Nako’s identity as a trans band of colour is central to their art. Payne and Dixon identify as people of colour, while Dixon and McCann identify as trans or multi-gender. Their songs are political, exploring the experiences of LGBTQ people in the punk/indie rock scene; a scene that is predominantly male, white and cisgender.

Opening track ‘Sissy’ begins with the screech of dissonant guitars and a classic punk sound. Dixon’s vocal style is reminiscent of Mac McCaughan from Superchunk, desperately emotive. ‘Tell me what I need to stay safe on the streets,’ he sings, ‘spit in my face.’ These words evoke experiences of public displays of vitriol that must be far too common in Dixon’s world. Dixon’s anguish is laid bare, ‘I want to see you suffer like me,’ he wails on ‘Spare Me’.

On ‘Muck,’ which sounds a bit like a Polvo song, with distorted, angular guitars that punctuate the emotion; Dixon yells, ‘when you see me, all you see is the muck.’ Dixon explains, ‘I know it makes some people feel uncomfortable, but I’m uncomfortable too. I was born and raised on feeling so ugly because of my blackness. I saw it from my family. I saw it on TV and in the movies. I saw it at school. Blackness was not to be valued. It wasn’t a positive trait. How is a child supposed to feel comfortable in her black skin if all these external voices are directly and indirectly pounding into her that her blackness is a thing to be ashamed of?’

Swirling, fuzzy guitars and a solid rhythm of bass and drums are a constant throughout the album. Dixon and Payne are a vocal tag team, a first for Aye Nako, as Dixon was previously the sole songwriter and lead vocalist. Although the themes are no less melancholy, Payne’s songs have a softer edge brought about by her more melodious voice. It works gorgeously with the crunching guitars and twanging bassline on ‘Particle Mace,’ and similarly on ‘Arrow Island.’

A lament about a broken, toxic relationship; ‘Half Dome’ begins in a similar way to ‘Sissy,’ with abrasive guitars that then give way to an up-tempo, 1990’s indie rock infused riff and the melodic voice of Payne. Sonic Youth’s ‘Daydream Nation’ also springs to mind here. ‘Nightcrawler’ could be a Speedy Ortiz song, although this is not surprising given the bands’ ongoing association with each other.

Aye Nako’s pop-punk presentation of their politics is stunning and speaks of their 1990’s influences. ‘Silver Haze’ can be a heavy, uncomfortable listen. Both Dixon and Payne write songs about the painful experience of otherness, but it’s something that we shouldn’t shy away from. Said best in their own words, Aye Nako were ‘originally formed to subdue boredom but now operating on another frequency, they are actively seeking a planet where those who fall in the margins can feel OK about being themselves.’ I hope they find it.