Formed by Xavier Germain-Poitras (guitar) and Louis Guillemette (drums), the lo-fi rock duo that is Montreal’s Solids don’t hide their 90s proto-grunge influences. They also understand, as Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, early Silver Jews and the mirage of predecessors to their sound did, that sometimes a melody is sweeter when it has to fight to have its say – and sometimes it really does have to fight hard (really hard – like a Balboa punching pork montage hard). But if you’re willing to put your ears to the test, Blame Confusion never fails to reward.

It‘s precisely the layers of distortion and feedback effects of their particular take on grunge-hued rock that makes it so great. Once they’ve been sifted through, there is genuine melody and beauty to be found underneath, but it’s one that without all that augmentation simply wouldn’t be the same.

Kicking off this orgy of decibels, Blame Confusion starts with “Over The Sirens”, which begins with a growing crescendo of feedback and distortion until a fuzzed out bluesy guitar lick and drum cacophony ensues. The track also includes indecipherable yelps from Germain-Poitras and an incinerating, but ariose drive throughout. “Off White” offers much the same and holds yet more similarities to Dinosaur Jr – screeching solos, whining, despondent vocals and the ever present fuzz of lo-fi recording.

Lead track “Haze Away” throws up one of the many contagious choruses to the record, with howls of “Take my haze away!” inherent through its mid-section. “Laisser Faire” shows a more sombre hue to the band’s complexion, and contains the only visible reference to their French-Canadian background. At the record’s close, “Terminal” again shows a slower, more melancholic counterpoint to the previous squall of high octane grunge.

Whether playing the stages of SXSW, Pop Montreal or in some dingy basement, Solids do not know any other way of making music apart from going all out – and I am so glad that they do. Although they bring precious little new to the table, they have mastered the art of hiding beautiful melody under layers of glorious distortion.