Record Review: DUD — 'Temple of the DUD'

Slick and to-the-point, fuzzed-out slacker rock is front and center on Scuzz Master singer/guitarist Danny O’Connell’s debut record from his solo project, DUD. Golden hooks are still the driving force, but here they’re covered in clouds of hazy distortion, stirring a little shoegaze into his punk and grunge formula. “Monument” kicks off the album with monster guitars that sound like Motorhead smoked some of The Jesus & Mary Chain’s weed, while “No Light” and “Drain” carry aspects of distant grunge, and “Stuck” sounds like MTV punk did a deep Google dive into CBGBs. Hyper-cool art-punk meets sugar-rush riffs, masterfully finding the middle ground.