It's clear the world wants more
Fugazi, whether the four members of the iconic Washington, D.C. band (who've been on hiatus since 2003) are prepared to deliver or not. They appear to be predictably not concerned with the notion of supply and demand, though it seems they're just enough aware of this that they're bending ever so slightly to the will of their fans. In 2018, the
Fugazi rhythm section (bassist
Joe Lally and drummer
Brendan Canty) debuted a new instrumental group,
the Messthetics, with guitarist
Anthony Pirog, delivering music that had little to do with
Fugazi's sociopolitical outlook or dynamics, yet was very much in line with their sense of adventure and precise attack. Now
Ian MacKaye, if not
Fugazi's leader than certainly their first among equals, has introduced a new band,
Coriky, with
MacKaye on guitar,
Lally on bass, Amy Farina on drums, and all three on vocals. The self-titled 2020 debut from
Coriky bears a much closer resemblance to
Fugazi's approach than
the Messthetics, which makes sense, what with the latter band's guitarist, main vocalist, and principal songwriter on board. At the same time, it also falls in line with
MacKaye's work in
the Evens, his low-key baritone guitar-and-drums duo with Farina who brought out three albums between 2005 and 2012. The vocal blend and the intensity not dependent on volume are clear throwbacks to
the Evens' best music, as well as the lyrical stance that examines big issues through the lens of the lives of people living under their shadow.
Describing
Coriky as half
Fugazi and half
Evens isn't exactly wrong; however, it oversimplifies what this trio is doing.
Lally's bass gives this music a stronger backbone than
the Evens just as much as
MacKaye's return to the liberating noise of the electric guitar (though he uses it discerningly), and Farina's drumming has become stronger and more assertive, powerful, and propulsive even when the volume is low.
MacKaye isn't the ranter he once was, but even when he speaks quietly on "Clean Kill," "Inauguration Day," or "Have a Cup of Tea," his passion and laser-tight focus on injustice hasn't dimmed in the least, and these songs are compelling and intelligent, smart and challenging without looking down on his audience. Whether or not
Coriky turns out to be
MacKaye's next major project or a short-lived experiment like Embrace or
Egg Hunt, this album is mature in the best ways without dimming its sense of purpose, and it presents three major talents in full command of their gifts and their ideals. ~ Mark Deming