Portland post-punk act the Estranged recalls the early ’80s heyday of challenging, intelligent bands such as the Wipers, Wire, and Mission of Burma. Their album STATIC THOUGHTS thrives on the taut-muscled tension to be heard in Joy Division’s sinewy rhythms and squalls of guitar. “Don’t They Know” rides a penetrating bass line into spidery guitar webs; “Exhibition” is a moody, downbeat ripper similar to recent material from Hot Snakes. With a tightrope-walking sense of balance plus a relentless beat, the Estranged are revitalizing three-chord punk songs and discovering new-found possibilities.
