Jumping into Subjective Concepts for the first time this fall, I tried to search for a single word that would sum up this Olympia-based trio’s debut album. Angry? Definitely. Menacing? Absolutely. Strange Wilds is the band that parents love to hate, it’s the band that elicits phone calls from the neighbors all the way down the block, because playing this album at anything less that gratingly loud absolutely does not give it justice. It’s an absolute blast, and while it’s forward of me to suggest that they’re some of the best garage-punk that the Northwest has to offer, these guys are certainly on the right track. It’s reminiscent of the feeling that a first time Nirvana listener gets, reactions that vary equally between foot tapping to eyes-closed head banging; the angry, pubescent rise that Strange Wilds got out of me is nothing short of remarkable and exciting. This is what grunge and garage punk-rock does well, and it’s a niche that bands like this fall into, and sometimes, some bands fail to climb out. The 11 tracks out of Subjective Concepts, however, remind me that I’m dealing with a far superior breed, unlike some of the attempts that I’ve been witness too in my cursory time around the scene. Although the group was formed in 2012, their debut album 3 years later gives testament as to how well-worked this album is. It’s crafted, it was made with a purpose, and although you may just get yelled at for playing this album at the appropriate volume, take heart in the fact that this is what Strange Wilds intended- and that’s the beauty of it all. You can catch them at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on October 15th. You won’t be disappointed.