Anthemic Seattle sludge dudes (and karaoke champions) Big Business’ third album Mind The Drift was mentioned favorably a few times in my year-end metal roundup. I’ve enjoyed bassist/vocalist Jared Warren’s work since his days in the awesomely heavy and often out of place Olympia/K Records trio Karp. Now he and ex-Murder City Devils, etc., cohort Coady Willis split time between Big Business — with guitarist Toshi Kasai — and the Melvins. It’s a stellar resume even without factoring in Tight Bros From Way Back When, the Whip. I’m looking backwards because it’s interesting (and rare) to follow a relative contemporary’s aesthetic progression/expansion across a couple decades, to watch the streamlining of his take on punked-out stoner rock. At this point Big Business’ tongue-in-cheekiness isn’t always my thing — though, yeah, it’s always been their thing — but the silly charisma and fake mustaches work well in the old-timey/elk-exploding/bloody/Western-saloon backdrop Wesley Belak-Berger’s created to house “The Drift.” Helps that it’s also just a great song.

Mind The Drift is out via Hydra Head.