New via Irascible Records is the latest LP from Lucerne duo Blind Butcher. True to their reputation for unprovoked lunacy they are calling it “Catch 22” (note the lack of a hyphen!). This, despite the fact that it has absolutely nothing to do with the Joseph Heller novel normally associated with the situation of “damned if I do, damned if I don’t”. Instead, “Catch 22” refers to the 22nd day of each month in 2022 – the day when Blind Butcher released their latest single to go with a new calendar picture created by Corinne Odermatt, eleven in all (in November they didn’t feel like it). “Catch 22” does contain twelve tracks, however – one, “Monday Morning” was added later (the band now apparently did feel like it).

The concept turns out to be a perfect foil for Blind Butcher’s demented muse. Having always found it difficult to contain their raging urge to play all musical styles all at once, the format forces Christian Aregger and Roland Bucher to focus on only a handful of influences each month. This, in turn, means that each song has its own flavour, creating a feeling of seasonal progress throughout the year. The process begins with “Flash Snap Shot”, a hyper-intense shot of riffing and kicking designed to escape the January blues, followed by February’s XTC-like “Reboot”, the crazed punk-house of “Walking Backwards”, and the Franz Ferdinandesque “Meanwhile”. In short, no track sounds like any other. All, however, are huge fun.