Album review: Sløtface – Film Buff

Now a sort-of solo project following the departure of founding members Tor-Arne Vikingstad and Laase Lokøy in 2022, Haley Shea leads collaborations with a collective of musicians under the Sløtface banner. The first full album made in this guise, Film Buff is a varied record that contains Sløtface’s trademark punk bite, but so too flits between some of the poppiest and heaviest material of their career.

Haley’s charisma is on show from the outset, with the catchy I Used To Be A Real Piece Of Shit getting things off to a fiery start. Elsewhere, there’s plenty of power-pop charm on Lift Heavy, while the breezy melodies of Charlie Calls also bound along with glee.

Film Buff isn’t without its more rugged moments, though, with Quiet On Set and Ladies Of The Fight offering some delightfully raucous punk riffs. The Great Escape also leans on this sharper-edged side of Sløtface, and it’s the pick of the bunch across the album’s 11 tracks, with a big chorus and heaps of character on display.

A few moments don’t land quite so well – the indie-punk stylings of Leading Man and Tired Old Dog, for instance, are a little forgettable – but there’s more than enough going on in the stronger moments to make up for that.

With proceedings brought to a close via the intense emotion of excellent final track Impression Of A Car Crash, Sløtface’s third album leaves the feeling of a musical outfit undergoing a bit of a rebirth, but one that’s brimming with promise. Don’t bet against Haley making this new incarnation of Sløtface even better as they continue to find their sound.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: WILLOW, Muncie Girls, Alex Lahey

Film Buff is released on September 27 via Propeller