Originating as the one man band of Seth Sutton, it didn’t take Useless Eaters long to land attention and appreciation from the likes of Jay Reatard. Touring, writing, recruiting new members, and touring and writing a whole lot more, the now three-piece are cementing their heritage and their permanence in one fell swoop. This record does exactly what it says on the tin. A collection of the band’s out-of-print singles, compiled by Sutton, this is the band as they intend to be heard: complete, and at their best.

Everything you need to appreciate the band is here: from the famed collaborations to tracks that might’ve escaped attention first time around. The garage punk of ‘American Cars’ sits neatly between the anarchic squalls of ‘Difficult’ and the refined raucous energy of ‘The Moves.’

The storming ‘I Hate The Kids’ (featuring Ty Segall) also features: a one and a half minute anarchic romp through volatile energy, pounding percussion, searing guitar solos, and screeching vocals it seems you can shriek away almost any angsty mood to.

A driving bassline takes hold in ‘Addicted To The Blade,’ powering ceaselessly through echoing riffs and distant distorted vocals, before lo-fi production seizes the front seat in the hook-ridden ‘Starvation Blues Number Two.’

The infectiously relentless refrains of ‘Bloody Ripper’, coupled with the track’s droning chorus backing vocals, take no time to bludgeon into your system and burrow themselves there, and the distorted twangs of ‘Mother Earth’ that follow don’t let down for a second.

If you’re already familiar with Useless Eaters, then this record might not seem to have anything new to offer. But in compiling the best of their out of print singles from recent years, the band have crafted a collection that will sit complete in any fans library.

Singles: 2011-2014 is out now via Slovenly Recordings.

Jessica Goodman
@alotlikejessica