The songs have numbers as titles here, so for linking purposes, we're going to spell the song titles so they're easier to get an arrow on. Opening with the song "Two," it's pretty obvious early on that these four can write a catchy hook. The almost Pixies sounding guitar clash intertwined with the group backing vocals and Kevin Shields' sounding shoe gaze soaked guitar makes the song sound like it could have come from 20 years ago.
However, the post rock and even hints of post punk themes that hop on and off the track while the indie rock structure keeps the stride moving along, make the song one that's hard not to find yourself bopping your head to. The way they use backing group vocals doesn't deter from the main vocals while they speed along to the track's rightful end. They burn right onto the second song, "Ten," like it's part of the opening composition. There are these notes struck on the guitar that seem to open things up, while the almost party sing-a-long sounds of the vocals make the dreary guitar feel a lot more positive than the music would without them.

The album gets closed off with the pedal drenched and fuzz soaked guitars of "Four." The longest on the entire release, there's plenty of influence happening here where the band seems to embody multiple genres in one song. While that typically means a band isn't focused, that's not the case here as Fight Me seems to mix grunge, shoe gaze, and alternative rock with indie and post rock to create their own thing.
Fight Me is definitely a welcome change to Houston's music community. By doing things their own way while creating music that blends genres like a product from Cuisinart, they're creating their own sound that's hard not to like in the process. You can stream or purchase Fight Me from the group's Bandcamp, or hear the songs in person when the band performs at Walter's on January 8 with Houston's Talking Forever and Astragal. Doors at 8 p.m.; tickets $10.