Serotheft - serotheft

Serotheft

Serotheft
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5


By Carly Bush

Serotheft originated in the fall of 2009 in the college scene in Burlington, Vermont. Ted Kenney, Devin Atcherley, Derek Rice, and Alex Greene met at St. Michael's College and found their niche performing to enthusiastic crowds at their local college parties. What differentiated Serotheft from other bands playing in this scene were their wild performances. Each late-night live performance occurred at a party and was enhanced with vibrant, trippy colors, lights, and lasers, enticing people to come out and experience these magnificently absurd shows for themselves. Their reputation soared as a result of their originality and creativity, but at this point the band was not a particularly serious venture for any of its members, and it had yet to find its specific focus and sound. 

The band's seemingly endless array of influences made them difficult to define, and they wanted to truly discover themselves. When Rice was added on keys in the beginning of 2011, the band finally began to settle into its current style, which feels very sure of itself and comfortable, yet distinctly unique; perhaps the distinctly pervasive bass lines and constant rigid backdrop of keys gives the band this mildly '70's-esque quality. 

Serotheft's debut self-titled EP has recently been released, after being successfully recorded, mixed, and mastered in Lovetown Studios in Middlesex, Vermont---and it showcases the quartet's great musical skill and intricate attention to detail. A lively, jazzy fusion of electronica, funk, dance, and ambient is offered on tracks such as the opener, "Hue of Don." Songs stretch on for an extended period of time, in no hurry to finish. Each track on this EP is at least five minutes long, but the optimism and vibrancy that lives within this style of music makes it worth anyone's while to listen intently. Quieter moments occur on the brisk, breezy track "Cavalcade," which is smoother, more delicate, and strangely beautiful.

There is always the sense that these songs are best heard live and I think anyone would benefit from witnessing Serotheft onstage, rather than simply on their laptop speakers. Serotheft crackles with electricity, a true raw powerhouse of eclectic creativity. "Build Thee" does just as its title suggests: builds from a steady, pulsating beat, then slowly grows and develops.
Each individual member contributes something wholly unique to the album, and the sound is well rounded and energetic, certain to still dazzle listeners.

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