Our take: Just last week I was writing about the Big, Big Wave compilation that documented the unlikely yet captivating punk scene in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and now that fertile scene gives us another Record of the Week. Presumably Primitive Fucking Ballers hadn’t formed when they recorded the Big, Big Wave compilation, which is a testament to how Hattiesburg continues to kill it. The vibes on this Primitive Fucking Ballers tape remind me of the Fried E/M LP we all loved here at Sorry State… hardcore punk with a heavy Circle Jerks influence and a loose and nihilistic delivery that’s drenched in swagger. That was enough to sell me right off the bat, but the more I listen to You Gotta Do Somethin’, the more I’m knocked out by the music, and the rhythm section in particular. The drumming here is nuts. The best way I can describe it is that it’s like Lucky Lehrer from the Circle Jerks filling in for Gauze. Like Gauze, the different parts of Primitive Fucking Ballers’ songs are often based on different grooves, but the drummer switches between them like they’re changing channels on a TV, each section of the song locked in but very distinct from one another. And like Lucky’s drumming in the Circle Jerks, it’s lightning fast but bursting with intricate rhythmic accents. The bass playing is also great, a dry sound with lots of pluck to it, the deft picking finding tiny pockets of interesting rhythm even within the drums’ relentless torrent. You Gotta Do Somethin’ is raw and vital, its unique mix of intricate conception and unfussy production as volatile and exciting as cold water splashed into hot oil.