For SF WEEKLY: Whirr refers to itself as a punk band from Oakland, but even at its most aggressive, Whirr is not textbook punk. The music is loud and layered with thick electric fuzz, but it’s also sincere and pensive: There’s no mistaking its melancholy ’90s shoegaze influences.

This is not a wall of sound, but more a wave of sound; a crashing of guitars and relaxed, reverberating vocals that lull. The five members of Whirr have never performed in their hometown of Modesto, but it’s possible the sights, sounds, and smells of the open, rolling Central Valley have sneaked their way into the band’s DNA.

They’ve been touring the U.S. and Europe extensively this spring and summer, so it’s safe to expect a well-oiled machine when they return home to the Bay Area this week.