We Hate You Please Die – Can’t Wait To Be Fine

Rouen, France up and comers We Hate You Please Die (a namesake inspired by Scott Pilgrim) strive to set themselves apart.  The eclectic garage-punk quartet is a mishmash of pretty much everything under the sun that might be termed raw and unconventional.  This translates to an broad soundscape that is part garage-punk, part messy hardcore, part singable Lo-Fi indie and a whole lot of unpredictable.  The band has joined forces with Stomp Records in North American for their sophomore full length, Can’t Wait To Be Fine, which will serve as an introduction by most and a natural evolution for returning fans.

Using comparisons with bands already waving the Stomp banner, We Have You Please Die can be thought of as the wild and unhinged nature of The BCASA combined with the erratic personality of BOIDS and recurring pop-punk simplicity of Real Sickies.  But We Have You Please Die’s reach is far and character unique, so accurate comparisons require searching farther across genres, like to the loose surf punk of Goons of Doom, eerie baritone of Miguel and the Living Dead, and sloppy spastic convulsons of Nightbirds.  It’s an unpredictable whirlwind of styles that makes for a weird and wild journey.

The album opens with the two-part song, “Exhausted + ADHD,” a track title that perfectly summarizes the range of Can’t Wait To Be Fine’s weird and wonderful pulse.  The first minute and a half slowly enters with a hushed, whispered tone, dominated by a cautious unfolding bass and minimalist feel.  Immediately thereafter the band roars to life with a short bout of throaty, guttural screams that feel lifted from the pits of the hardcore scene, only to pivot moments later into the jangly, garage-punk frenzy they’ve build their reputation on.  Songs like “Barney” serve as prime examples of the band flexing their full garage-punk potential, providing some of the simplest yet most infectious rhythms.  Meanwhile, tracks like “Paula” highlight the band’s most successful integration of sludging hardcore elements

Based on the vocal diversity, each member contributes in some unique way, with Mathilde Rivet or Chloe Barabé’s female vocals serving as a great accompaniment to the already diverse range offered by Raphaël Balzary and Joseph Levasseur.  The three main voices translate into a haphazard array of zany baritone (like a Lo-Fi Depeche Mode), fuzzed out falsetto (staticy and screeching), and indie-ish bubble gum (think Best-Ex).  Songs like “Vanishing Patience” and “DSM-VI” jolt along with a degree of melody that brings to mind a Lo-Fi, garage-leaning version of The Violent Femmes.  These songs are like an organized free for all with each vocalist jumping in and trading off at stylistically informed moments in an almost impromptu fashion.  Everyone has their time to shine – even to the point where there isn’t a discernible front person, just a group of friends enthusiastically passing off the mic.

Lyrically the band delivers some interesting focal points.  For instance, “Terminal” explores changing perspectives and living alongside those with an incompatible “point of view.”  The title track feels cautiously optimistic in its message of hoping for a fresh start, expressing that “a second chance is a fight,” and that “it’s time to change the rules.”  The song isn’t inherently sunny though, with each positive comment being counterbalanced by a sobering dose of reality, leaving listeners to wonder if the necessary healing can ever truly take place. Most of the time the band’s French accent is subtle, but there are a few occasions where pronunciation means you may need to run through a line or two over again for clarification (such as the chorus in “Otterlove” which states “My heart stops beating when I see you,” but can sound like “ICU” during your first listen).

Overall, We Hate You Please Die have returned with a sophomore statement sure to shake things across the scene.  The combination of Lo-Fi garage-punk, hardcore and experimental indie make Can’t Wait To Be Fine impressively unpredictable and highly energizing for listeners from diverse walks of life.  And on a global note – with pandemic lockdowns lifting across the world, this is the type of liberating, high energy music we need to usher us back to the messiness of the everyday and excitement of a nightlife ripe with sold out live shows at sweaty little dives.  We Hate You Please Die are ready for you, but are you ready for We Hate You Please Die?