Jack Kilkelly is an acoustic/folk singer/songwriter who was originally from Brooklyn, NY, but is now based in Chicago, IL. He studied jazz and classical guitar at Lawrence University and went on to win a Downbeat Jazz Magazine award in 2016 for his contributions with the band Jake Victor 5tet. Ever since the pandemic hit, Kilkelly has decided to change course, focusing more of his energies on his solo endeavors. One More Year is Kilkelly’s latest effort to get his original music out there.
One More Year opens up with “Barbed Wire,” where sounds of the acoustic guitar come through and it sounds very stripped back. Once Kilkelly’s vocals arrived, the emotional quality of the music really came together. I enjoyed the simplicity of this track that had a way of resonating with me. Right out of the gates, there’s definitely a country-twang to his singing style on the title track “One More Year.” This folksy song felt very soulful as Kilkelly’s voice took flight. To my ears, “Dance By The Light” felt like a lullaby. Kilkelly sings in a hushed sensibility. A rather quiet track, I think it conveys a lot of emotion, making this a resonating way for the artist to end the album. With just the artist on acoustic guitar and vocals, the sound that comes across is very stripped back and mellow. This seemed like it would be the type of music to be playing at a coffee shop or open mic night. There was something about Kilkelly’s open and vulnerable musicianship that made it seem like he was a mere six feet away performing this to you. Filled with intimate performances, Kilkelly’s up-close-and-personal style is something to look forward to on this EP!
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Augmeanted is a musical duo from Missoula, Montana with distinct classical influences. Cousins Mary Overlie (vocals/piano) and Geoffrey Taylor (violins/chin cello/mandolin) are established musicians in their own right: Overlie is the creative spark for the band Mudsong in Minnesota, while Taylor is a professional violinist in Missoula. Collectively they’ve been recording and composing for over 15 years, and their debut album together is titled Life, twice.
The album takes its name from a quote by author Anais Nin: “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.” Their press release describes their music’s effect on listeners as “…feathered by the wings of the crescent moonrise, embraced by the concert hall’s symphonic swirl, or rib-tickled by Appalachian fireflies. Taking their cue from Victor Hugo, Augmeanted writes music to ‘express that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent,’ giving voice to moments best carried along the heart’s strings. The recordings are a mix of vocally-driven meditations on the moments that leave us speechless, and violin-driven improvisations that say what’s impossible to say.” Vocals and piano tracking took place at Supple Studios in Minnesota, with fiddle added in Taylor’s home studio in Missoula. Final mix was by Troy Foss. “Pressed” begins with an a cappella vocal with the words: “Any day now, any day now…” making me think I was about to hear a cover of the classic song “I Shall Be Released.” The song goes somewhere quite different, however! Overlie’s evocative vocals and piano are perfectly paired with Taylor’s strings, and the imagery reaches far and deep: “Like the Lutheran’s say / each judgement (sun)Day / Forgive me for what I’ve left undone.” As the song continues it feels almost like an old heartland classic. Taylor’s chin cello overdubs (a violin with strings tuned an octave lower, like a cello) and violins sound uncannily like a small chamber group. Interestingly Overlie doesn’t always stick to the printed lyrics, adding and changing lines at whim. “Water Works” introduces Taylor’s mandolin, which gives the music even more of a Civil War-era feel. After a short intro, Overlie takes another a cappella vocal that plays like a spiritual (without being dedicated to any specific deity, unless it’s the Earth and its elements). I actually got chills when the mandolin and voice finally joined together. “Big Medicine” has the dynamics of a Carole King tune or a Phoebe Snow vocal crossed with Augmeanted’s chamber group sound. I’m guessing the “big medicine” of the title is music, to which I would wholeheartedly agree. “So I heat up this voice, cook it over this heartfire / And I tie off my choice, just let my longing speak its desire… Your song is the only way to heal.” Lots of drama in the musical climax here. Speaking of drama, the following “Love You More” feels like a moment alone onstage where a character reveals her deepest feelings to her partner, and us. Another breathtaking vocal performance by Ms. Overlie. Each instrument so totally commands its space that when someone foot-stomps in time, it feels as big as a kick drum. Taylor’s violin solo at the end has touches of Middle Eastern phrasing. Even the title of “Shanendoah’s Roads” sounds traditional, and this track is an upbeat mandolin-featured ditty with multiple vocal overdubs by Overlie that remind me of the late Capitol Records artist Salli Terri. “I never thought that I’d return to the lands I left many songs ago / My weary eyes, my beleaguered soul / has sung its way Home to my Shenando’.” “Stung” features yet another gorgeous strings and piano arrangement. I’d never heard of the chin cello before this album, and it really does create a low, sonorous and enveloping feel to the music, even more than a traditional cello would (which is an interesting dichotomy!). Augmeanted’s lyrics often seem concerned with Love in all its forms, and in this song “Stung” indicates being “stung by love” and how this is not a bad thing. In fact: love “…keeps your heart afloat in all of the murk and the grime / Let it take your breath / Give each its time.” The latter half of the album consists of a 22-minute suite in five parts called “The Catching Snowflakes Suite” (just like the album cover!). The opener “Chasing Pomegranate Moons” is a languorous overture where both piano and strings are able to stretch out. There are “lyrics” but they don’t appear in the track. “Wildfired Sunrise” is a surprisingly jazzy tune (with a trace of Vince Guaraldi) that references the experience of seeing the sun cloaked red in smoke and haze (we get a lot of that in California). With “Jumping Waves” I’m starting to think this is actually an “elements” suite like Brian Wilson. The music here seems to mirror the constant crashing and churning of ocean waves, with an early Velvet Underground abandon. “Sandial” sees the passage of time through the grains of a sandial, with the piano tinkling almost like children’s music to mark the moments gone by, as Taylor contributes a romantic violin reverie. The suite concludes with the gentle, quiet rumination “Sevens, Nines & Elevens” that borrows the main chords from “Trois Gymnopedies” by Erik Satie. The album’s final track “BeLeave You” returns to the group’s classic sound, and just might be an ode to, and celebration of, creative writing! Or it could be as big as releasing the shackles of preconceptions that weigh down one’s self. I like that I can’t be sure! For those among us who love strings and classically-influenced projects, this album is a must! I’m very excited for this group’s future projects.
just fine is an indie alternative band that started in 2021, from Ottawa, Canada. Influenced by melancholy and long winters, lead singer/songwriter Celine Stanton writes songs that are reminiscent of the ’90s but rooted in a post-pandemic world. Ronnie Abou-Abssi's guitar sprinkles lavish lead lines throughout, with Ted Zeisner backing things up on drums. The band’s debut EP Sink or Swim was recorded on tape and live off the floor, which let the band bring out the raw emotion felt on each track. The songs we then mixed and mastered by Dave Draves at Little Bullhorn Prods in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Some have said that just fine’s music reminds them of ‘90s bands like Mazzy Star and the Cranberries, but honestly, the band says they’re not sure what they sound like.
The band’s creative process goes something like this – whenever she’s feeling emotionally overwhelmed, Celine writes her songs alone in her small Centretown apartment, at her dining room table, with dim lighting, her guitar and a cold beer. She usually starts with a few chords, and then follows the melody of her voice. Her lyrics are essentially a journal entry of whatever she’s feeling at that point in time. Once a song is done the whole band jams on it, and that’s when the magic happens. Currently, the band has other songs waiting in the wings that they can’t wait to share with the world. The opening track “Summer 09” has got a great live sound, with a heavy rhythm section, and warm jangly guitar sounds. I can hear the comparisons to Mazzy Star and the Cranberries, but there’s also a lot of good, wholesome rawness going on with this band’s sound that reminds me of the early college rock bands of the ‘80s. Next is “Don’t Wait” and this one is more toned down, in tempo and in its sadder melody. Lyrically, with words like “the smell of you still lingers – can’t get you out of my head” hints at this tune being a love song, or perhaps a break-up song? “Summer Rain” takes on an even more melancholic sounding tone. Celine Stanton’s voice really comes through beautifully on this track. The band, along with the song’s melody really showcases the group’s talent for writing a powerfully, emotional song. I was quite moved with this tune. Just fine’s last track is also the EP’s title – “Sink or Swim” begins with a lone guitar strumming a few notes and then the drums and bass break in with a heavy, steady beat. A few things I liked best about this track was its duration, its more traditional verse-verse-chorus-solo arrangement and the band’s choice to fade out the track in the end. In other words, the way the song was written and how the instruments were played, not to mention Stanton’s vocals sounding more haunting here (especially towards the end), was one of the band’s best moments on the EP. I liked this song so much that I had to listen to it again. If you’re fans of Mazzy Star, Cowboy Junkies and Portishead, or melancholic alternative songs from the late ‘80s and mid-‘90s you’ll like too. Recommended.
Original Pairs is a Toronto-based rock group that happily fuses folk, country, jazz, pop and psychedelia into their own unique sound. Formed in 2008, their first album was called Forbidden Fruit on Spying Dwarf Records. Their long awaited follow-up is called Natural State, which “explores the full range of the group's musical influences, wrapping them around a solid core of dark Americana.”
The four band members include Andrew Frontini (guitars/vocals), Chris Bartos (bass/pedal steel/violin/backing vocals), Lisa Logan (drums), Jon Loewen (piano/organ/Moog) and special guest Richard Underhill (saxophone). The band describes the concept of “Natural State” as “a world populated by existential seekers: everymen trying to make sense of their lives, and ultimately failing. The songs are stories, crafted by a tortured architect, then forged into an eclectic song cycle… Does it sound like anyone else? Not quite, but in the mix you might detect some mid-career Dylan, late Elvis, Ian Tyson, Nic Cave or even Gordon Lightfoot.” Recording took place at Racoon Records, with mixing by Chris Bartok and mastering by Noah Mintz at Lacuqer Channel. Limited edition vinyl also available! Normally when I first hear an album for review, I take a quick glance at the band notes, but for this collection I was away from my computer so I scribbled my notes with an analog fountain pen. I noted the lead singer’s resemblance to Bob Dylan right away, specifically mid-career Dylan (especially “Lay Lady Lay”) just as the band states. At any rate the vocals always have the “mature” quality of someone who’s been around, experienced life and lived to tell the tale. Besides Dylan, the opening track “Let It Go By” also suggests a story-song by Neil Diamond, with some of the guitar jangle of The Byrds. The recording quality isn’t razor-sharp pristine or lo-fi murky, but comfortably in the middle. “Fix It Man” leads with funky wah wah guitar, and is a song that’s about a literal “fix it” man, but the one thing he can’t fix is a broken heart: “I can’t find the parts!” A fun and engaging tune that sounds and feels like Warren Zevon at his humorous best. Jangly electric guitars fill the tune with sunshine and wonder. “Turbine” is an instrumental that changes things up a bit with an interesting “pull off” bluesy guitar technique, while introducing moody, jazzy saxophone. The structure owes a little to ZZ Top slowed way down. In contrast, “Money on a Tree” is a fast blues workout with a jumpy one-two beat and tooting saxes that makes you want to party. The crunchy electric guitar approaches Jon Spencer Blues Explosion levels of abandon. “Big Guitar” is a dark folky tune (with Gordon Lightfoot-style vocal) that really does feature big guitars: acoustics that sound like they’ve been tuned to subsonic level, along with a background fuzz sustain that surfaces for an epic conclusion. “My big guitar, it makes me happy all the time.” As someone who writes songs about guitars on almost every CD, I happily welcome another entry into the pantheon! “Running Around” is a sprightly tune that features great pedal steel and multiple guitars, paying wistful tribute to the narrator’s history of “running around” with the sad realization that it’s got to stop sometime. “The Red Bird” feels like a train song with its propulsive finger picking, distant train horn-sounding Moog, rhythmic strings and vocal chorus of “whoa, whoa, whoa…” “Bad Brother” moves into dramatic storytelling, framed by ratty, growling electric guitars. This epic story features novelistic imagery that’s not easy to shake (“And my woman did miscarry / and from the womb, the blood did flow… Oh Bad Brother, what have you done? / You know the reason that I wrote this song / I got a feeling we’ll never talk again.”) The lead singer seems to conjure the spirit of Elvis as the stakes of the song get higher. “Tall Pine Trees” has a picked opening like McCartney’s “Mother Nature’s Son” and has a structure not dissimilar to the Stone’s “Ruby Tuesday.” This song is beautiful yet carries a touch of melancholy, especially with the string section. A late favorite! “Farming Man” ends the collection with an upbeat, sprightly country-rock tune fully abreast with jangly guitars and (again) Elvis-worthy vocals. These are all great songs and I have no quibble with anything here. Check it out!
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Orange Dollar is a husband and wife rock band from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. They previously released Orange Dollar which we reviewed here at Pitch Perfect and they are back with a new release entitled Lady Luck. They mention “Lyrically, each song on the album tells a different story, not always matching the tone of the accompanying instrumental. The songs walk a fine line of truth and fiction, realism versus pessimism and dwelling on the past while trying to move on.”
The album opens with “Prelude” which is an atmospheric and tranquil soundscape. It felt like an introduction to “Hope It Lasts” which has an interesting mix of genres. The synth makes it feels like a synth pop song from the ’80s but this song is also steeped in nostalgia and Americana. The vocal performance was full of conviction and emotion. I was reminded of bands like War on Drugs. This was a great opener and got me excited about what else would lie ahead. They continue to bring the goods with “Chest Full of Excuses” which has a driving and visceral energy. It has a spirit to it that makes you feel motivated and empowered. I have to say the vocals on this song reminded me of a popular vocalist but couldn't quite place it. Either way I felt a burst of adrenaline. “Lost Without” has a classic rock feeling to it and absolutely soars when the chorus comes. The guitars sound great with the hall reverb and I also thought the synth sounded great in the mix as well. “Keep This Pain Around” is arguably the best song on the release and would have sounded good in the movie Drive. It’s very synth heavy and this song is moody and has one of the best vocal performances. The title track “Lady Luck” is another highlight. This song moves fast. The drums sound great on this song and something about the spirit of this song brought to mind Bruce Springsteen but the aesthetics aren’t obvious. “More Than Enough” leans more into folk and has a warm heartfelt quality to it. Something about the song brings with it a feeling of solace. This is the type of song that would sound great if you’re feeling a little melancholy. As the album progresses I thought there were a number of other highlights. The powerful and epic “The Way That I Loved” and the bluesy “Life Can Give” were exceptional. “Goodbye” felt anthemic while “Cut and Run” sounded like a proper send off full of nostalgia and reflection. This release was great and on par or even better than their self-titled release Orange Dollar. There’s a lot to appreciate here from the delivery to songwriting and much more. Recommended.
One of the first albums I ever reviewed on Divide and Conquer was Modern Music for Modern People by The Steve Hensby Band. I loved it, but wondered if ALL the albums I’d be reviewing would have that same level of invention, density and genre-hopping. I needn’t have worried, because Hensby is a truly unique musician and bandleader. His newest album It’s a Dry Heat Ayyye!!! is the band’s first full-length release since my 2020 review, with the exception of a single and a Christmas EP.
The band started in 2017, sporting folk, soul, funk and world music influences, later adding a horn section. Thankfully the horns are still prominent! I just saw Los Lobos performing live, and strange as it seems, there’s a lot of crossover between East Los Angeles and Perth, Australia. Yes, both bands have horns, but they also share the same wild, funky and soulful spirit, and Steve Hensby is by all accounts a gas to see live. The core of the band includes Hensby (guitar/vocals), Karl Florisson (bass), Greg Brenton (drums), Peter Evans (percussion) and Elysia Murphy (keys/vocals). The horn section features Marc Osborne (tenor saxophone/clarinet), Al McEvoy (baritone sax), Laura Halligan (trumpet) and Will Pethick (trombone). There’s a few guests I’ll mention when they appear. Recording and mixing took place at Villa Studios by Josh Dyson, with mastering by Brodie Stewart. Hensby states that this is a concept album about “a post-apocalyptic world: the only place left on Earth with life is Perth, Western Australia that has formed its own eco system based around mining and partying.” I remember now that Hensby does like his stories! As such, “El Nino” opens the album at full throttle, with a Sweet “Ballroom Blitz” drumbeat and shouted vocals. “Make it rain! AAARRRRGHHH!” Enter the Los Lobos-style horn section, followed by the full band in funky soul mode. Hensby lays out the story in his lead vocals, but the main attraction here is the chorus chants of “El Nino!” which is impossible to hear without imagining a venue full of dancing revelers blocking your view of the band. Terrific trumpet solo by Laura Halligan, though all the horns are killing it throughout. “Righteous St” borrows the melodic scheme of the old single “I’m Your Venus” led by fuzz organ and handclaps. Hensby takes the lead vocal but introduces radio-friendly harmony choruses that totally satisfy. There’s a hilarious moment where a split-second progressive rock riff is followed by… crickets. “Jamtown in Mukinbudin” ups the funk ante, and features the vocalist General Justice along with John Dyson on organ. Lots of Motown influence both here and on the previous track. Hensby takes a spoken word rant against racism in general and the overuse of the term ‘black on black violence’ in particular. “Hairy Man In A Waxed World” is a fast, riff-heavy rock song that’s a distant cousin to the Hendrix hit “Fire.” I really like Hensby’s vocal here, taking centerstage as the whole band drops out for each verse. The choruses are high energy, before weirdly morphing into retro-’50s like “Little Shop of Horrors” or “Grease.” “Alcohol and Caffeine” has a chorus I’m hearing as “Come on down / to Shantytown.” Those lyrics, the funk stylings and female lead vocals remind me a lot of the old hit “Funkytown.” Josh Dyson guests on keys along with Bendan Tompsett on spoken word. The voice and sound effects collage at the end is wild and a bit scary! “Theme From South Specific” is a great title. The phasing lead vocals recall John Lennon while the guitar keeps up a “Shaft” funky rhythm. The horn section gets a nice long stretch to shine, like early Chicago at its best. Incredible ending where all the instruments are literally swallowed in a cloud of reverb. “Sailboat For Two” starts with wave laps and a single ukulele (shortly joined by saxophones) along with 1920’s-era female vocal stylings. I like my music WAY retro so this was a standout! Fans of Dan Hicks or the Bonzo Dog Band may agree. “Mahogany Rum” has a hot beat along with the voices of “The Rojos del Municipal Club Choir” (Diego Alvarado, Enrique Irungaray and Ana Coronado). The background voices do a call-and-response with Hensby who performs a busy, constant and almost rapping lead vocal. Musically this is another Hensby Hyrbrid, moving from Latin to funk to pop without breaking a sweat. The title track “It’s A Dry Heat Ayyyye!!!” starts a bit more intimate, with acoustic guitar, vocal and horns. Musically it feels like a saloon piano tune in an old Western, while Hensby describes what just might be modern day Perth and not just the one at the end of his story. The horns have the feel of a Salvation Army Band, and the slightly tipsy “Pitch Slapped Community Choir” (Sophie Foster, Rick Webster, Greg Brendon and Elysia Murphy) take us home at last. Though the story or concept here feels a bit undercooked compared to Hensby’s previous opera, all his musical elements are intact with maybe a bit more emphasis on the funk. Definitely make him part of your musical dashboard!
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Pajama Day is a Washington, D.C. based math rock duo. Deriving influences from contemporary bands like Chon and Standards, Pajama Day exudes a musical ethos consisting of a balance between instrumental intricacy and unforgettable hooks. Their music is uplifting and punchy with a tinge of bittersweet longing expressed through unpredictable grooves and unique song forms. The band’s self-titled EP Pajama Day was recorded, mixed and mastered in the Kreeger Studio at American University. The five-song recording was produced solely by band members Knox Engler and Andrew Altshuler. The bands states that their debut is very special to them as they were the sole creators and contributors involved in every single step of the process. In a word, they did everything. The EP is tied together by an overarching plant theme- all tracks are named after some of the duo’s favorite plant species – namely wisteria, alyssum, kudzu, chia and sarcennia. The music in many ways represents Pajama Day’s connection to the natural world. This connection is sacred and often unspoken, resulting in a largely instrumental recording.
“Wisteria” gets things rolling with fast acting finger action on the guitar and a tight rhythm section. The band’s style is straight up progressive, and the song is all instrumental – in fact, all of them are instrumentals. The opener has a fun energy to it with moments of lightness of flavors of pop punk. “Alyssum” feels more complicated, at least with the fingering on the guitars. I think this tune was even faster than the first track! But the best part is when the band gets a little funky on the solo break, where they add a keyboard. That part reminded me just a bit of the Edgar Winter Group – another fun song all around. “Kudzu” begins with some psychedelic sounds on the guitar and a lighter, sophisticated progressive style. There are also moments of bell sounds, which I assume are coming from synths and by the way, there is plenty of that on this track. Overall, there are a lot of twists, turns and arrangements present here, and some great melodies, too. Next up is “Chia” and once again, a lot of fast, tight guitar and bass/drum action. I like the break the band did here, with the echoing guitar solo and then coming together to finish out the rest of the song. Pajama Day’s last track is called “Sarcennia” and this one seems to have an edgier, prog-rock style. There’s a lot of finger-tapping on the guitar here. And as with most tracks on this EP, it’s fast and tight. This band has got some fantastic chemistry when it comes to this style of music. The band ends this track with reversing the music, in other words, mixing the track so the instruments sound like they are being played backwards. This was a nice surprise at the end, but I kind of wish they would have let the song run out a little longer instead of abruptly ending it so soon. Overall, this was one of the shortest EPs I’ve ever reviewed (each song being under three minutes long) but isn’t that the nature of the pop punk format? On top of that, this D.C. duo effortlessly has the math rock/prog rock genres down, no question. The blending of all these genres and the tight playing Pajama Day does on their debut, should have any prog rock fan wanting more.
Sarah Beth Driver hails from Baltimore, Maryland. Though having played guitar since she was 12 years old, her new EP Letters is the first time any of her songs have been recorded or released, which blows me away right from the start. Driver describes this collection as “unique pop-rock songs that wrestle with the highs and lows of everyday life… bright, carefully-crafted tunes draw inspiration from the spirit of power-pop, the energy of rock and the inner-curiosity of post-punk.” Having amassed a backlog of songs over 10 years, Driver chose the four tracks on this EP as among her best, and they felt like a natural grouping.
Recording took place at a home studio during the Covid Summer of 2020. Driver and friend Carl Pfansteihl arranged and produced the songs one instrument at a time, with the sounds of the songs developing slowly over the recording process. “Carl and I had an idea of what we thought the individual songs should sound like, but were surprised at the completion of each track. All the songs revealed an extra layer that neither of us thought was there. The result is four songs exploring the ins and outs of love. Beginnings and ends, lots of questions and a couple of answers.” Recording took place on Pro Tools, with each song completed in the order they appear. Mixing was by Baltimore’s Randy Smith, with mastering by Tyler Lefebvre. “Letters From Mars” is a song that quickly grabs your lapels and makes you dance. Indie pop electric guitars frame Driver’s voice, which is sweet but powerful, questioning and assertive. Driver says that she “wanted to write a song about being young before I got too old. In my mind, this song is about the last Summer before college, when the nights are warm. A person feels safe, but free, and it seems the world is yours for the taking. However, the future looms, and while you want to live in the moment, it's hard not to think about the future.” “Happens 2” is a bit more acoustic-heavy, with electric guitar acting as a sort of musical Greek Chorus: not lead exactly, but semi-improvised lines that draw out and complement the chord structure. Driver’s voice here reminds me of Twitter indie star Sophie Dorsten, with much of that same sweetness and authority. “Remember Me” is a slower tune from the Beatles Rubber Soul school. Driver’s vocal is sincere and matter-of-fact. I love how she generally sings higher in the chorus, which sets apart and emphasizes those lyrics. There’s possibly more background vocals here than before, which add a sweet and enveloping quality. The horn patches also recall the Beatles in their Mystery Tour phase. “Say Hello” ends the set with a jazzy shuffle, with Driver leading what sounds like a roomful of players from a vocal classic released in the late ‘60s. I can easily imagine this is one of the songs Driver found surprising when it was done, as it sounds as far from one person in a bedroom as you can get. She handles the lead and backing vocals with all the aplomb we’ve come to expect. A short but satisfying set that portends great things from this new artist!
Medical Miracle is a Chicago alternative/indie band that consists of Jade Miralles and Richard Yepez. The pair bonded over their love of bands like Phoebe Bridgers, Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy and other like-minded music. Over the next three years they would work on their recent release entitled Together We Are Alone.
The music is often moody, melodic and melancholic but also can be quite catchy. To start things off they get going with the title track “Together We Are Alone” which is basically an intro. It’s basically a very manipulated vocal melody. This reminded me of an effect I often hear from Bon Iver. The album really starts to get moving with “Should've Said.” You are greeted with clean strummed guitar chords and vocals. A drum beat soon enters and the music starts to build. The chorus pops when it arrives. The song feels pensive and seeped in a low key type of sadness. There’s a beautiful section right around the two-minute mark. Great song. “Late Night Drive (Revisited)” contains a similar type of melancholy. The guitar work is really well done and there is just enough sadness in the vocals which make you feel like you can empathize. There’s a lot of quiet reflection to the music with lines like “I'll think about this every night. Did I do it right? It's just a late night drive.” “EM T.” was one of the highlights. This song reminded me of a lot of my favorite indie rock bands like Yo La Tengo and other like-minded artists. The vocal melody and guitar work work fit together really well. I also loved the hook on this song. “Be A Name” is a good one that soars and something about this song felt more aligned with dream-pop. Perhaps it was just the reverb tails. The album moves forward with a number of really well-done songs. “Poison” was good but I loved the dreamy and lush “Lovers in Bloom.” I have to think Beach House might have been an influence on this song. “Affection” is the closer. It’s the most dynamic song in the batch and the instrumental parts contain elements of post-rock. I thought this was a great album. The songwriting was consistently good and perhaps more importantly the album felt cohesive. If you’re a fan of the aforementioned bands this should be an easy win for you. Take a listen.
Fire Escape is a band from Annapolis, Maryland that recently released Radiator. The band formed in March 2020 in the middle of their freshman year of high school. Suffice it to say they are a young band but off to a solid start this release.
I was in high school over twenty-five years ago at this point but found the music familiar to what I was making all those years ago. In the mid ’90s grunge was huge and while it’s not as popular today I’m happy bands like Fire Escape are keeping the flame alive. The band goes with the song “Life In a Jar” which starts with fuzzy guitars and bass. The drums come in and their sound is fairly heavy. It’s a catchy tune that’s dynamic and contains well delivered vocals. The hook is clearly defined and I thought there was a lot to appreciate about the opener. They mention bands like Mudhoney, Dinosaur Jr, and Local H and I definitely heard some of that influence in their songs. “Ra Moon” is an acoustic song where the band take off their distortion. If you ever heard the MTV unplugged series and in particular the Alice In Chains one this song contains a similar aesthetic. It’s a fairly simple song but the melodies are memorable and I thought there was a lot to appreciate. The song comes with gloomy lyrics that were so spot on for the era. The vocalist sings “Dark clouds, they roll across the sky / The wind that echoes in the night / I know that you won't have the time.” “Anaphylaxis” could very well be the highlight. There’s a different vocalist on this song and she sounds dynamic and full of emotion. It starts with melodic guitar picking patterns, a kinetic drum beat and a steady bass. The vocals start to rise and erupt into the chorus where the distribution is introduced. It’s a memorable hook and I thought the mix sounded great. The vocalist sings “Anaphylaxis / Choking on smoke that don’t exist / Anaphylaxis / Gasoline passing my lips.” Highland is the closer and this song had an early ’90s grunge sound not too far away from a band like The Melvins. One of the really cool things about this song was that both vocalists were utilized. The band is crushing it especially considering how young they are. As someone who grew up on this music it’s a pleasure to hear bands that were influenced by a lot of the same bands I was. |
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