Bully’s seismic tension-and-release makes an impact at NON-COMM

After some pre-show stretches, Bully took the Lounge stage at NON-COMM by storm. The Nashville-based band played the first three singles from their forthcoming record, Lucky For You, out June 2 via Sub Pop, and gave the audience a sneak-peak at what they have in the works.

Playing to a full house, they started off strong with the fuzz-drenched track, “Change Your Mind.” The unreleased song set the tone for the rest of their grunge-inspired set, introducing the audience to the sustained tension and sudden swerves that are hallmarks of their live shows.

Employing crashing percussion and seismic bass lines, the four-piece offset the subtle angst embedded in their post-punk with sensitive lyrics detailing the boring days, malaise, and growing pains that band leader Alicia Boganno addresses with cool yet casual confidence.

There’s a certain beat-up charm to Bully that made them appear like effortless icons like their performance was lifted from some long-lost MTV unplugged session or something. They managed to be captivating with their huge choruses and deluge of rough riffs without coming off as a Veruca Salt knock-off. There’s a certain power that underscores their delivery, evident on “Lose You,” which Boganno sang sans Sophia Allison (Soccer Mommy). Even without the feature, Boganno commanded the crowd with sobering vocals as she lamented playing a losing game. Closing the show with “Days Move Slow,” in true rock-n-roll spirit Bognanno didn’t leave the stage without a few flourishes. After shoving her face into her guitar and ripping through lyrics about lucid dreams and living in a black hole, it felt only fitting that they would end in a blaze of unabashed grunge glory.

You can catch Bully at The Met on June 9 with The Pixies and Franz Ferdinand.