"I want to believe"
This band is cool. They've really nailed down their aesthetic. I love the X-Files obsession, the weird VHS horror movie art, the heavy chorus and the riot grrrl influence-- and not to mention, all these kids just look cool. I'd give Andrew Glover, their guitar player, the "coolest looking dude of the year" award. Ha.
Anyway, moving on. This EP. It was recorded, mixed, and mastered by John Hoffman, my good friend/roommate/bandmate. It sounds great. The intro track, "Shalom Harlow," opens with some ethereal noise and singer Taylor Roebuck speaking rather ominously--
i saw the light from the neighbors house
go off just seconds
before the dawn
drops of fuel had drenched
their fresh cut lawn
i stepped out in it anyway let it
soak in my socks
when the moment was over i
turned their light back on
go off just seconds
before the dawn
drops of fuel had drenched
their fresh cut lawn
i stepped out in it anyway let it
soak in my socks
when the moment was over i
turned their light back on
--
Then the song erupts into an aggressive as hell swathe of Nirvana-esque thrashing and Roebuck curling her lip and scaring the hell out of you. It's tight-- a perfect opener for the EP.
My favorite track is the third one, "Hysterectomy." It's got a nice Slowdive feel instrumentally, but with Roebuck's bitter rage scathing it's way in and sort of scaring you into this nightmarish state. It's atmospheric but the songwriting is there--something most bands of the genre don't quite nail down.
The last song on the album, "Mulder's Daydream," is solid as hell also. Definitely sounds like something from Rather Ripped or Daydream Nation. Even has some Gordon/Moore style harmonies going on.
Very excited to see what this band does next, I'm sure they will only continue to improve their songwriting. Roebuck's lyrics are a strong point, bizarro quips of introspective thought which I think come from a genuine place. I also love Glover and bassists Sam Ruschman (who by the way is also a cool looking dude, they both definitely know how to wear hair) playing style and presence in the band. They're both very distant and mellow but aggressive. Great stuff, definitely recommend checking it out if you like just about anything Sonic Youth has ever done, which you probably do.
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