by Meredith Schneider | Nov 7, 2017 | wolf tracks
London-raised multi-instrumentalist and electro alt-pop extraordinaire Harlequiin (Rory Simmons) has set his sights on the industry with flare, releasing his Something To Believe In EP recently, a follow-up to earlier 2017’s Clock That’s Stopped. Although he’s no stranger to music – he has been both a touring and studio musician with acts like the 1975, Paolo Nutini, Labyrinth, and more – it wasn’t until Clock That’s Stopped that he was releasing music his own music on his own terms, and we’ve been impressed with his chops ever since. Beginning with the smooth sounds of the title track – which later reveals early 2000’s quirks interwoven into its sound -, Harlequiin establishes his sound as one of all-encapsulating calm teetering on the edge of a sea of frenetic energy. This energy can be found audibly in every song, most notably toward the end of second track “Dream Deep Bloodlines” and throughout the seductive lyrics and vocals in “Kloro”. Last track “Heal Me” has a mainstream pop draw to the initial beat, layering in these beautiful, off-kilter sound effects that continue in the frenetic vein as its predecessors.
Not a single track on this EP is even remotely like the one before it, and somehow Harlequiin has found a way to truly create a signature, driving sound that aims to get your hips moving.
Every. Single. Time.
Something To Believe In is out now. Keep up with Harlequiin here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 7, 2017 | wolf tracks
If you’ve got a pension for bands who come up with long, educated album and song titles and intricate lyrics that are both highly relatable and super specific to their own lives at the same time, then you’ll want to look no further than Boston-based psych/indie rock project Bad History Month‘s new album Dead and Loving It: An Introductory Exploration of Pessimysticism. The album itself was created out of a moment of inspiration when brainchild Sean Bean – who “Wrote the songs, played whatever’s not noted otherwise, pissed and moaned mercilessly, ended up doing some editing and arranging and having a lot of fun eventually.” – witnessed Dust From 1000 Years perform “Black Rot” in 2013 during a time when he was reading War and Peace. Because of this, a sense of triviality is sprinkled over the entire album, as we get a peek into Bean’s existential ponderings.
We begin our journey with a track called “The Church of Nothing Matters”, which is an instrumental cacophony of sorts that really starts out quite beautifully and then launches into an eery few stanzas of crashing cymbals and off-key, waling guitars. It isn’t until 2:04 that we get vocals, monotone and honest as lines like “nothing matters” and “I don’t go to church” jump out from the folds. While “Gazing At My Navel” certainly doesn’t evoke that exact feeling for its listeners, it is a calming track with quirky chords that don’t seem to want to fit into the track gently layered in every once in a while. The song picks up, and around 4:12 is when the vocals hit the track. “A Small Life” seems to play with dissonance, almost making you beg for the song to come forth. Which it does, but it’s closer to the 2 minute mark before jarring, sung/spoken vocals are inserted into the track.
“The Nonexistent Distance” is when we see vocals pick up at a more acceptable rate (Sorry, guys, we’re lyrics people!) about twenty seconds in, Bean asking simplistic, almost rhetorical, questions that trigger a jumping off point for a thought process in the listener. By the time you get to “The Imaginary Tone”, the entire album has mellowed out substantially and it seems as though each syllable comes out for this track as practices and defined as possible. It is here at we realize the precision with which this release was made, though not the first time the idea has occurred to us. “Being Nothing” certainly calls into question our existence, as it layers together and he quietly repeats “you are nothing.” The song speeds up as he echoes the same sentiment we’ve all been feeling as of late in the lyrics “I’m tired of wasting all my time talking the same shit to myself over and over.”
“A Warm Recollection” is adorable in its own way, discussing the ways that love is so intimate when you’re familiar and beautiful to one another without putting on a face necessarily. The instrumentals suggest a slight eeriness, but it’s beautiful the way he pairs simplistic ideas of love with layers of sound, almost “fumbling” in places as he expresses in the track. What we glean from it is that this is raw, this is real. And is that not what Bean meant for us, as we head into final track “A Platitude And A Final Understanding”? Slow, practiced, over ten minutes of instrumentals paired with bursts of narrative in which we witness Bean expressing the sentiment “I’m lucky” repeatedly. But he’s not wrong, and we’re all lucky in a way. Because our lives have led us to a space where we can share this music, – relatable or not in our current situation – and bond over the eery beauty that has been created in a world that is slowly reaching a spiritual awakening.
Dead and Loving It: An Introductory Exploration of Pessimysticism might be the next step in that collective journey.
DEAD AND LOVING IT TOUR
Nov 7 Burlington VT, SEABA, 404 Pine St
Nov 8 Cambridge, Elks Lodge w/ Pile, Ovlov
Nov 9 Portland ME Apahodion Theater
Nov 10 Hamden CT, Counterweight Brewery, 23 Raccio Park Rd. w/Stevia, Dave Go
Nov 11 Brooklyn, Alphaville (18+), 140 Wilson Ave
Nov 12 Jersey, New Brunswick, The Grand Exchange
Nov 13 Philly, Kung Fu Necktie w/Soft Fangs, Left and Right
MIDWEST, locations tentative
Nov 25 Pittsburgh tba
Nov 26 Lexington/Indy/Bloomington ? somewhere betwn pitts n nash, get in touch…
Nov 27 Nashville tba
Nov 28 St. Louis, Foam Coffee and Beer, 3359 S Jefferson Ave
Nov 29 Milwaukee, Cactus Club
Nov 30 Madison, Williamson Magnetic, 1019 Williamson St
Dec 1 Chicago, Landland w/Spencer Radcliffe, Date Stuff
Dec 2 Kalamazoo, Rupert’s Brewhouse, 773 W Michigan Ave
Dec 3 Ann Arbor MI, The Blue House, 712 E Kingsley St,
Dec 4 Detroit/Windsor?
Dec 5 Toronto, The Burdock
Dec 6 Montreal, Quai des Brumes, 4481 Saint-Denis
Dec 7 Burlington, The Monkey House
Dec 8 Woodstock, 51 Rock City Rd
Dec 9 NYC Market Hotel w/Pile
and many more …
Dead and Loving it: AN Introductory Exploration of Pessimysticism is out now.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 7, 2017 | wolf tracks
At the end of September, Austin-based indie/blues artist Jackie Venson released her dazzling five track Transcends EP. Starting it out with the upbeat track “Flying”, lines like “from the ashes something new grows” bring you into a more positive head space, more than adequately preparing you for the rest of the release. From second track “Fast” – which borders on 80s/early 90s synth rock with a Fefe Dobson-esque attitude to it – to smooth listening track “Mysterious” with its wider display of Venson’s range and exceptional use of ensemble vocals. “Fight” draws some more rasp from Venson’s voice, keeping an 80s sound to the instrumentals while singing about vibrational energy and – once again – looking forward to a positive existence and “the good fight.” Transcends closes out with its most completely rock track of them all – beginning with waning, rough guitar – the title track, which brings with it an edge to Venson’s voice that enhances the fact that not only did she come to play, she came to win.
Transcends is available now. Keep up with Jackie Venson here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 6, 2017 | wolf tracks
In September, Boston’s folk/indie rock talent Griffin Robillard released his 9 track, full-length album titled Cracks in the Ceiling. Flooded in a sharply nostalgic feeling, the album itself was written while Robillard was living in Copenhagen. You can almost feel the growth he was experiencing while writing the piece, as his vocals are flooded with emotion as he brings you into his world with the mid-tempo, almost anthemic, title track, bouncing into the more upbeat and soulful vibes of “Ghost” before getting slightly more twangy, then bluesy/jazzy, in his instrumentals with third track “Because I’ve Told You”.
“Reel to Reel” slows things down – has the structure of a Ben Folds-type track – weaving a narrative speaking to his significant other that is slightly specific, but still very vague, perhaps for the sake of universality. While “Artifacts” picks things back up exponentially, it is with sixth track “Faithless” that we are brought back out of our seats, encouraged by the sound to move. “In Your Own Way” houses similar surf pop vibes to the instrumentals in Gin Blossoms’ “Found Out About You“, causing us a few moments of reminiscing on our 90s selves.
It is with “Nothing to Show” that things get very serious, both lyrically and instrumentally. It’s like Robillard has decided to rip his heart wide open in this one, simplifying the instrumentals slightly to really showcase the words as he croons the track into a 70s style rock stunner. “Tired of Being Cruel” is your last taste of Cracks in the Ceiling, a lot more upbeat in its composition, though melancholic lyrically as he begins the song with the line “tired of being cruel to you.” Self reflective, honest, raw. That’s what we’ve come to love about Robillard, and – while we’re plenty happy with this release – we’re already excited to hear what comes next from this talented musician.
Cracks in the Ceiling is out now. Keep up with Griffin Robillard here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 31, 2017 | wolf tracks
There is an alt rock band located in Jersey City and Rahway, New Jersey that emerged quite recently onto the music scene. So recently, in fact, that you can judge its timeframe based on the band’s name and – if you need more proof – the title of the album they just released. y u u g e is comprised of Nick Afflitto, Alex Pergament, and Jerry Ramos, and their debut album Inauguration Day is out now. (See what we mean?)
Admits Pergament of the recording of Inauguration Day, “The album is wholly improvised in the studio. Our idea was to focus on the need for listening and accepting over performing and perfecting, as a response to the pressures of being right, winning, competing. To exercise a capacity for empathy and organic response.”
Beginning with the spoken track “Microscope”, y u u g e has created something that draws you in and makes you examine the world around you, with lines like “we’re not that different” driving the piece forward, and in direct contrast to what the overarching political message is and has been since that storied day. “Squirmy Worm” is immediately notable for its quirky percussion, a quick 45 second track that reminds us of the subject of its title, and also has us questioning what other minute details of the every day we should be paying attention to. “Captain Creepy” features Ariel Guidry, though the vocals are all high pitched, as though they inhaled helium before “talking about sandwiches” and other random things. Its follow-up – “Stinky Pants” – also features the vocal stylings of Ariel Guidry, though this time in a more soulful and fulfilling way. (Though we’re not knocking the laughter we got out of its predecessor.)
“Man Cave” is the first song on the album that begins like an actual rock track, really milking the amp on the electric guitar. Crashing drums ensue, and the band goes full metal with harsh, screaming vocals and a dark tone to the instrumentals. (Because, after all, isn’t that what a man cave is all about? Being as manly and loud as possible?) “Snow Man” is heavily characterized by the horns section, a purely instrumental track – until minute five, when calm and beautiful vocals add a layer of softness to it all – that is simplified to an acoustic guitar and trumpet.
The title track is heavy – even more so than “Man Cave” – literally evoking the gloom and doom feeling we had on that fated day in January of this year.Once again, it is only after minute five that any vocals come in, and they’re angry and loud and all-encompassing in their delivery. (Much like someone else we all know.) But meander on into “The Animals Who Saved You”, and there is a delicacy placed back into the music that makes it feel like a slow jazz type of afternoon. Ninth and final track “Grizzly Bear” begins with the trumpet, then percussion, slowly layering and building with softened, almost inaudible, and honest lyrics over the course of almost eleven whole minutes. During minute nine, everything kind of crashes into this distinct and intense cacophony of sound, and then dissolves again, perfectly rounding out this release.
Inauguration Day is available now.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 30, 2017 | wolf tracks
Seattle-based shoegaze/dream pop collective Ephrata – comprised of Skadi Von Reis Crooks (guitar, vocals), Brady Hall (guitar, vocals), Jules Jones (bass, vocals), and Ben Bromage (drums, vocals) – released their self-titled 11 track album just last month. The vocal harmonies they have been honing since their conception in 2011 are buttery smooth, with almost a kaleidoscope of personalized instrumental layers that make each song feel like an entire experience. We were big fans of the release, so we thought we’d let you in on why.
“Odds” has a very “I Melt With You” feel to its initial lines – though delivered as though it were released in the 50s – bathing its listener in light, nostalgic feels right off the bat. “Tunguska” is characterized by whirring guitars, the beat setting in after a couple of lines and really kicking the energy into high gear. But the song feels upbeat and light, while the lyrics are actually quite terrifying as they repeat “Run, run, scream and cry / Run for your life.” (Comforting, we know.) “Breakers” makes us realize that we may have embedded ourselves in a deceivingly light – but innately melancholic – work, as first line “Don’t you know that things were better when they were bad?” throws us into an almost existential mindset. And while we aren’t entirely sure what it means to “die on a sea of straight faces,” “Sea Of Straight Faces” is a slow, 50’s doo-wop sounding track that mellows you out for a bit mid-album.
Fifth track “Fiend Folio” seems to play with dissonance early on, addressing perhaps the fact that your road through life is paved with temptation and intensity (“forked tongues and fangs showed me the way”). We might be misinterpreting the lyrics, though they are – as their predecessors – seemingly bittersweet in their delivery and intention. “1000 Things” begins with a grunge/surf bass guitar, exploding into a beachy track that hits Beach Boys status pretty quickly and effectively. And while “What Is Mine” is indie rock at its core – it feels as though it could have easily been included on the Juno soundtrack – “Consequence” rolls right back into some hard beachy nostalgia for us all.
“Pharaoh” is light and upbeat in delivery. In fact, deceivingly so, as they’re singing about being shot and “entombed,” though the overarching theme might just be found in the line “pot meet kettle,” something we have been examining intensely recently, especially regarding people in power. (But I digress.) “Evil Twin” is a track that really makes you think. Clearly, the person whose perspective we’re examining is in denial about a seemingly abusive relationship, as she is convinced she met her significant other’s “evil twin” because of the way he treats her. “But when he appears you’re always gone…” How sullen and beautiful, this perspective on unhealthy relationships. Ephrata ties their 11 track release together with “Sun Scenario”, keeping with the devastating, lugubrious theme by instructing “fill your head full of dread ’til you’re dead,” which – to their credit – when examined has the opposite effect. It’s as though they’re encouraging you to embark upon this dark path, hoping you might take it as a challenge and move, instead, into the light.
But however you tend to interpret the lyrics, move forward. Examine your world through the lens of Ephrata’s music and use it as a learning tool. It will come in handy.
Ephrata is available now. Keep up with the band here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 24, 2017 | wolf tracks
Nashville-based folk/Americana singer/songwriter Faith Evans Ruch released her latest – a ten track album titled Lessons in Falling – on October 13th. Her first release since 2014’s After It’s Said & Done, Ruch has chosen to incorporate more genres of music in her writing and sound, drawing influence from soul to pop to r&b and beyond. There are clear roots with the songwriting, as every song has a lot to do with love. But it’s the vulnerability in her vocals, the way she can really reach and make you feel with every note, that is of actual note in this new release.
“I’m Yours” starts the album off with a bang, as we experience a real nod to Elvis in the crooning vocals. Though she visits similar notes throughout the album, this one feels the most like it was produced by The King himself. And while “Beg for Mercy” easily could have gone that way with the title, it serves as the quintessential mid-tempo blues track. “Sugar” takes on a different type of nostalgic flare, and quite frankly we could see it placed in a remake of Grease. And “Sunny Side” takes on an even more diverse direction, as we melt into a modern spin on a 70s funk feel.
“This Cold” is the first real slow jam on Lessons in Falling, questioning the length of time she has been “wandering in this cold”, begging the question of love’s existence. Quickly, however, the tone changes with “Stupid Boy” and the subtle vocal quirks she incorporates to hook the audience into this one. The use of a choir-like backup vocals makes this one feel more robust amidst its pop-influenced sound. “Blood From a Stone” takes yet another different approach, the tempo changing a couple of times while Ruch threatens the man that tries to lie to her and “play it cool”, as she explains that she is “nobody’s fool”. We’re not ones to cross her after this track, that’s for sure.
But there are still three more tracks to delve into, and while “Rock Me Slow” is clearly the second slow track, it might place her on a different level of vulnerability as she leads us through a lonely narrative of sleeping alone and all of the tumultuous emotions that love or the lack thereof can burden a human with. We expect a lot from a song with the title “Bang Bang”, and we are pleasantly surprised with the final product. It feels like a song that came right out of the Kill Bill soundtrack, and you’ll understand what we mean from the first line to the very last chords. She rounds out her work with the aptly titled “Thank You”, which slowly careens through robust, soulful instrumentals toward her overall message of closure. Bittersweet, as now we have to wait to see the next step in Ruch’s musical progression.
Lessons in Falling is available now. Keep up with Faith Evans Ruch here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 19, 2017 | wolf tracks
Recently, Earth-based psych-rock collective Elephant Fire – made up of musicians Adam Wall, Steve Wall, Zac Colwell, and Dave Hellman – released their seven track full-length Natural Heart. Inspired by a six month journey into North America’s national parks, this album is a remarkable tribute to the beauty of the world around us, something that is easily noticeable from the very beginning with the first vintage punk-tinged track “Natural Heart”. “Come With Me” begins with a slower, more hard-hitting tempo, imploring you to “relax your feels and have some tea, come with me,” which sounds like a pretty neat idea to us, as we sit here writing this in the middle of the work week. (Looking around the office, completely unamused.)
Third track “Lovers In The Bike Lane” begins with that line exactly, then drags you into its groove with quirky bike bells and light, ethereal cymbals. Begging you to take him somewhere, anywhere, the track ends with a “ting” and throws you right into the keyboard-fueled intro of “Burn Me Up”. The keys end abruptly, and you’re pulled into a world of pure rock, as the sounds swirl you around through a fiery kaleidoscope of early love. And while “It’s Alright” begins with a cacophony of light instrumentals, the repetition of the line “It’s Alright” makes you realize that – even with the quirky sound effects that don’t quite seem as though they belong – everything is going to be A-OK.
“It’s Rising” has a little bit more of a dark undertone to it, though we wouldn’t necessarily call it dark. Wall’s vocals are breathy, more sultry in their conviction. There are parts of the track that make you feel like you might be losing your damn mind, but those are the pieces that make this such an incredible head banging track, so we’re all for it. And, just like that, “Karmic Siege” sieges the spotlight as the final track of Natural Heart, leading its listeners into a mid-tempo instrumental section that speaks to the hippie in all of us.
Our normally insatiable eardrums are pleased.
Natural Heart is available now. Keep up with Elephant Fire here.
by Meredith Schneider | Oct 13, 2017 | wolf tracks
Brooklyn-based indie americana musician Caleb Clardy dropped his new album today, a twelve track collection that holds an introspective coming of age narrative at its core. Having co-written and collaborated with many musicians in Brooklyn over the years, Caleb is no stranger to what works. This fact is evident in his work, and in our awe at his first full-length, titled Invincible Things.
From first track and previously released single “True Original”, which establishes a “stand up for who you are” ideology with words like “if love don’t work, maybe cynicism can” that make our ears perk up. “Keep Up” expands on that idea, almost giving permission for those who exist at a higher frequency – people who are always told to “slow down” – to keep on keepin’ on at their own pace. It also serves as a reminder that everyone goes at their own pace, and it’s important to accept and embrace them as they are.
And that’s just the first two tracks. The title track slows everything down to an almost country ballad feel, while fourth song “Stoic World” dances along a melancholic tightrope, the perfect audio representation of its title. “Found Us A Home” is a detailed account of living a blue collar life chasing your dreams, perhaps the modern genre-hopping equivalent of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”. And while “Watch Out World” returns all of its energy into quick paced boot-scootin’, “Magic” slows the album to a glacial pace, where Clardy gets to play with beauty in dissonance.
The song we were initially most curious about would have to be “Queen Of The World”, a sweet, delicate love letter to an obvious love interest. It’s as though the composition of the instrumentals was simplified, lightened, so that the emphasis would rest solely in the complimentary and beautiful words. “Made Up Lives” saunters into the sound space, asserting that “love is a blessing and a curse” while “Sara C” feels more punk in both tempo and vocals than its predecessors. “Flags” is, perhaps, the most gloomy track in this collection, addressing the brokenness of society, of how life can be a “long road if you’re feeling alone.” Though most of the song serves as a question for disheartened humans, there is a reminder for a light at the end of it all to keep your chin up.
“Right and Wrong” was the best choice to end Invincible Things on the right note. Once again playing – this time moreso – with dissonance and open-ended questions, this track mellows out the entire piece into a sound space to ask the hard-hitting, existential questions that Clardy has been detailing throughout. One thing is for sure, this man is not about shying away from important topics, and certainly has no aversion to beautiful composition.
Invincible Things is out today. Keep up with Caleb Clardy here.
