Just as the world is in a state of uncertainty, Joe Casey especially feels this way. In the 5th album release from Detroit’s Protomartyr (originally set for release May 29th pre-pandemic), the post-punk band grapples with the obscenities in life that the people are too powerless to change. In a time where lynchings are still happening, protests continue throughout the streets, and justice is not being served, Casey’s lyrics utter the fact that the atrocities in the news have always existed, and we are only now becoming aware of them.
The album quickly builds up with “Processed by the Boys” as the next track, painting a portrait of a future that is already here. Casey is more subtle in his political lyricism than other modern post-punk bands, but seems to leave an even bigger impression. “Everybody’s hunted with a smile being processed by the boys” feels all too familiar as cops take pride in killing people, in ICE keeping children in cages and deporting students, and as the United States president feels power in unleashing militarization against protestors. Released as a single just before the first signs of lockdown in the United States, this is one of the heaviest and most powerfully anxiety-inducing tracks alongside “Tranquilizer” and “Modern Business Hymns”. In fact, the entire album feels like a weight on your chest, one that you need to sit with for a while.
Louder and fuzzier than any of their previous releases, the noise continues to flow throughout the tracks in a seamless listen. “June 21” is definitely a standout track as it feels like a dark, gritty summer in the city streets it describes. A female voice is introduced that later harmonizes with Casey’s. The song sets the stage, then slows down as bugs begin chirping and drowning out a slinky melody that feels like a humid night. Though left with the feeling that the track should have built up into something even more intense than the way it began, the next track “Michigan Hammers” makes up for what was missed in its jittery guitars that pierce through in the best way.
“Tranquilizer” is possibly the darkest song on the album with a low, fuzzy, dark guitar riff layered against nothing but a sinister saxophone. Drowned out vocals repeat the words “the pain” over and over, leaving listeners in suspense until a ferocious buildup of noise breaks through. This is the second song on the album to feature the sounds of crickets as well, adding to its haunting nature. The next track “Modern Business Hymns” is almost prophetic in the ways it describes “built-up respirators” while the rich “sip on zebra mussels”. The leading guitar riff is the closest to what Protomartyr has done in previous releases, and will very likely be a fan favorite both sonically and lyrically.
Ending with “Worm in Heaven”, a name that might make some laugh, this incredibly strong album closer manages to feel melancholic, to say goodbye, to accept any uncertainties that the future will inevitably have. Maybe one of Protomartyr’s strongest tracks ever, it is bleak, vulnerable, and makes one feel okay with saying goodbye, which was Casey’s goal as he wanted a song he could play at his own funeral.
The darkness in life is accepted, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t weigh down on you. Ultimate Success Today ruminates on life and what it means to exist in these times. Even before things got especially weird, Protomartyr was able to see the things that plague modern existence and makes music that feels just as unsettling. Just as life seems to feel heavier than anything before this, Ultimate Success Today weighs just as heavily, making it one of the best post-punk releases of 2020.
Stream Ultimate Success Today on Bandcamp or via Domino Records