pyj - liberty for wolves

pyj

liberty for wolves
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Sean Dennison

The P is for Paul, the J is for Justin, and the y I'm guessing is the Spanish article for and. This is a duo that is busy with life, and so vocal recording is done in San Diego while mixing and mastering is done in Sacramento, both in California. Is it just me or does this seem a lot more fashionable to do, to record in different parts?

Anyway, Liberty for Wolves is awesome, a standard-length EP (five tracks, most of the them around the three-minute mark) that grinds with nervous fervor. The music is rooted in punk, what with its frictional guitar licks, muddy production and nasty drumming. But PyJ don't limit themselves (doesn't limit itself?) to just those aesthetics. The vocals (both men share duties) approach the theatrical when they're yelling over their self-created noise swells, tempos change from post-punk sinister grooving to hard rock sprints and it's not uncommon to hear a synthesizer or some other artificial noise producer throughout the tracks.

"Disconnect “and "Did You Forget" is the two-punch opener, beginning with some moody vocal howling followed by a cascade of violent guitar work. The mood throughout the entire EP is one of disassociation and paranoia, but neither are spelled out as clearly than on the first two tracks. The alternations between minor guitar chords and headaching riffs are intoxicating and memorable.

"It Doesn't Matter" is cool as hell, a barely danceable electro-rock number that, like most of the other tracks, culls a bit from various genres, in this case the forced rage of emo and the groovy rhythms of gypsy punk, while mechanical sounds hum and drone in the background. I'm fairly sure Nico would approve of the viscous anger on "Bottom Out," and "Wake Up" is a fun mess that constantly rearranges itself from gothic ode to garage punk pithiness.

There are annoying parts of this EP, namely the vocal discord that's heard occasionally on the tracks. It comes to a head on "Wake Up," when any emotion I was supposed to feel is lost in the goofy haze of PyJ channeling martyrdom at the end of the track. But the fun the musicians have on the tracks more than make up for it. Even during missteps, PyJ know how to have fun. The reliable changing of rhythms and tempos is welcome in songs that create such dreariness, the hooks are catchy as they are abrasive and the voices are, at worst, fun to mimic if you're ever a tour guide on a haunted house. Overall, Liberty for Wolves is recommended.

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