This is quite a cool release. This band has an alternative rock edge. They really bring a lot of diverse influences together. Things from classic rock to country music, world sounds and hardcore punk all show up. They even take it metallic at times and toward progressive rock. They play with dissonance and chaos like instruments at points. All in all, this is a diverse and entertaining ride.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017 Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Sick
Acoustic guitar opens this. They launch into a smoking hot melodic rock jam from there. The vocals twist it toward a punky kind of direction. This is like a DIY, alternative punk take on something like The Outlaws.
Jack In The Box
Noisy stuff begins this. They very quickly launch into definite punk. The vocals almost make think of Otep in some ways. This is screaming hot. It's raw and yet artsy.
Memory Acoustic guitar leads it out of the gate on this one, too. The cut is similar to the opener in some ways, but perhaps a bit more of a straight rock number. It's almost mainstream, but just shifted slightly off the center.
A Change Is Gonna Come
Imagine Janis Joplin mixed with a modern, fuzz driven alternative rock sound. You'll find that you are pretty close to this bluesy rocker.
He Loves Me Not
In a big change, piano starts this. The cut comes out that with something that's a bit on the jazzy side. That short jam ends and then just the piano remains. They pound in with a more powered up version of the earlier section. This makes me think of Camper Van Beethoven quite a bit. It's odd and world music based, but it's also very cool. It drops mid-track to a weird sparse section. Then it comes back in from there.
Deep Beneath The Woods Vocals begin this. As the bass joins, the cut begins to work forward in cool style. I love the mood and tone on this. This gets into some seriously hard rocking stuff as it continues. It's a powerhouse that seems to teeter between metal, alternative rock and even progressive music.
Another Light
This is another alternative rocker that shows off a lot of that proggy tendency. This makes me think of Mazzy Star a bit with its fuzz-laden sound. This isn't a huge change from a lot of the rest, but it's one of my favorite tunes here.
Splinter The high pitched buzz at the start of this song is annoying. They launch out into a full on hardcore punk jam from there. This is fast paced, noisy and angry. It's a nice bit of variety, too.
Unfortunate One More of an classic rock vibe permeates this number. It's a driving, powerhouse tune.
A New Shed Of Colors There are some sound effects at the end of the last song that stay around to start this one. This tune is more of an acoustic driven piece. It reminds me just a little of the Violent Femmes. The vocals, though, are closer to Blondie. However you hear the influences landing, this is a cool bit of variety and a strong piece.
OtherSide
Built on more of an aggressive, harder rocking structure, this sits somewhere between metal and punk rock. I can almost make out a bit of a Lords of the NewChurch vibe to this in some ways.
Come With Me
This cut is a balladic one. I almost feel that the strings on this are a bit over the top, but somehow, they work. The whole tune is pretty effective. I'm not sure of the wisdom of closing with this, though.
