Obits
I Blame You
(Sub Pop)
Fans of the defunct rock outfits Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes tend
to divide into one of two factions: those who revere Rick Froberg,
frontman of said bands, and those who prefer the work of guitarist John
Reis, leader of the esteemed San Diego rockers Rocket from the Crypt.
After Hot Snakes’ abrupt demise in 2005, nothing was left to fill the
gap for either sect but the posthumous releases Thunder Down
Under, a live in-studio recorded at ABC Studios in Australia, and
Peel Sessions (Hot Snakes were the last act to record for John
Peel’s radio show before his death). In 2008, Reis released See You
in Magic with his new group, the Night Marchers. The Reis camp was
appeased, but for many, Magic was more a continuation of Rocket
from the Crypt than an answer to Jehu or Hot Snakes.
That same year, Froberg’s new band, Obits, quietly released the
One Cross Apiece 7-inch on Stint Records and shortly thereafter
signed with Sub Pop. Now that label is releasing I Blame You,
the Obits’ full-length debut. It contains nearly 40 minutes of taut,
edgy guitar rock executed by four talented veterans, and while it’s far
cleaner and less thunderously distorted than anything released by their
predecessors, it’s no less a pleasing contribution to the post-punk
sphere. Like Hot Snakes’ records, I Blame You builds momentum
song after song, culminating in some epic moments. Greg Simpson’s bass
figures prominently, especially on the driving groove of “Two-Headed
Coin” and the swaggering rhythm of “Talking to the Dog.” Froberg has
refined his voice from the shrill shout-singing of his previous work,
and it shows on tracks like “Lilies in the Street” and “SUD,” whose
breakdowns—coupled with strident guitar lines and well-placed
backup vocals—represent some of the most arresting parts of the
record.
Overall, I Blame You fills the post–Hot Snakes
gap—for now, anyway. 
