The Kubes is a rock n’ roll trio formed in Fort Worth, TX, in 2018. The band features Travis Flippo (guitar/vocals), Spencer Fortner (bass/vocals) and Landry “Noodles” Smith (drums). Picking up where rock groups from the ‘60s left off, the band is kicking off with their debut album With The Kubes, bringing into the scene their take of psychedelic rock with a dash of blues and bustle. Their sound is big and boisterous, making loud and glaring gestures that sound similar to arena rock anthems from another era. Saturating their sound with tons of reverb and distortion, for the majority of these tracks, these rockers record each section individually to get a clean overdubbed sound while five of their other tracks feature the members rocking out together for a live sound. Nevertheless, I thought the band did a good job of creating a cohesive sound, as the album tackles the classic rock genres with marked enthusiasm. On this album, the band is able to revisit some classic riffs while still keeping true to what The Kubes are all about.
With The Kubes starts out with “Revelation,” where big demanding drums create a dramatic pulse to this track as rumbling bass also adds in a demented sound. Gradually, as the vocals come in, the waves of psychedelic and bluesy rock n’ roll comes forward. This seemed like a song that implements big sounding guitars to make way for a noisy and ill-contained concoction. As an epic guitar solo sweeps through this recording, the other instruments also keep up the ante with their sections. At times the music reminded me of The Vines and The Black Keys. Some reverb-drenched guitars cover the sound on the start of “Oregon Trail Blues.” Eventually, some drums and percussions also create some noisy riffs. The sound is busy and chaotic. I loved the brushes into bluesy territory here. Once the vocals come in, it is loud and abrasive, making for some nit-and-grit blues rock n’ roll fun. Some rumbling bass brings in a real cool sound on “Abandon Ship.” The vocals make for a very carnivalesque vibe. Some keys highlight a more poppy sound here which made for a groovier pulse. Sounds of a plane flying overhead sounds out on “Bush Administration.” Some very “doped-up” vocals make for a low-key sound. Samples of Bush before the mic are overdubbed behind the instrumentals, adding to the atmosphere of this track. An acoustic guitar melody kicks off “The Moon Also Rises.” The music here is more in the folksy and country-bent vein. This acoustic song felt more honeyed-spun with heartfelt lyrics and a warm embracing vibe. This seemed a departure from the band’s previous sound. I enjoyed the mandolin performance. Back to their blues sound, the vocals shout out for a spoken word vibe on “A Passage to Nowhere.” Understated instrumentals make up the backdrop. Reverberating guitars create a wall of sound. This track seemed like a slow burn as the reverb and distortion is taken up a notch. What sounds like the organ went on to heighten the bluesy sounds. On “Boogie Sugar,” some blues-driven harmonica and guitars made for an energetic sound. I enjoyed all the grooves and riffs. This seemed like a happening blues party you can get down and boogie to. On “Desert Of The Real,” arena-style guitars and a drumming beat makes for a big and demented appeal. A cross between metal and progressive, some rumbling bass comes in next. The guitar riffs are gigantic. This track features a good amount of the band jamming out. More reverberating guitars make up the sound on “Dust My Broom.” Gradually, a bouncier beat heads into some bluesy territory as the band finishes this album with this jaunty closer. Recorded jointly in both Fort Worth and Austin, TX, this record, which sounds like a home recording, shows the band’s attempts in getting this mainly DIY effort off the ground. Though a tad lo-fi, I thought this lo-fi sound worked in their favor pointing to a rawness that went on to inform the band’s live sound. A good amount of reverb and distortion addresses this album, giving it a majorly big and larger-than-life sound. I thought the band was able to capture a lot of that spirit and carefree rock n’ roll attitude a lot of rock groups during the ‘60s and ‘70s had. There is a certain rush you get when listening to these tracks that you can’t get anywhere else unless you look back to a lot of groups doing the same things 50 or 60 years ago. And a lot of the vintage and timelessness seemed to have rubbed off on what The Kubes are doing now. I could see that the band had a lot of fun making this blues and rock album, which I thought proved to be a good debut to what The Kubes are all about. I look forward to seeing where this takes the band to next.
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