There is a particular kind of alternative rock that has the kind of theatricality that can, on one hand, feel kind of operatic and on the other is interestingly poised in a kind of glam meets cabaret sort of way. The elements to the sound are hard to describe or even put your finger on it. For me, it is the way the vocal performance sounds, the tendency for the lyrics to be dramatic and the guitar lines to be super rockish but also elegant in technique. The Beatles pushed that envelope from time to time, as did early Radiohead. You definitely here this element to Muse's sound a lot. Other bands that swim in this artistic dense pool are Wires On Fire, Mini Mansions, and Queens of the Stone Age especially on their "Like Clockwork" album.
Pattie Boyds are 4 very talented guys out of Tel Aviv, Israel who dive deep in this pool. Their current album "Your Better Half" feels like a blend of 90's rock with that semi glam / art rock tone of the aforementioned bands. Very cool stuff. The tracks shift from cagey and progressive rock to these amazing and trippy slower songs as well. I let the entire album play as I chilled out and as an album it feels cool and cohesive. Jesus is a thick staccato drenched rocker that plays like a kind of bitter "fuck off" song. Plastic Toys within the proggy rock has a punk / glam flair. Spider Web twists and turns with heavy guitar lines and the vocal performance kind of winks at you as well. Forward with it's varied time signatures evades description. It feels like a cool three act play really. Lottie kind of stalks in it's rock operatic tone. It is that kind of wide sweep of the hand arena rocker. Only When I'm Blue is lush and sexy.
While the boys can jam there are some very cool slow burners that pull you in instantly. Bugs is super trippy and then explodes in the end. Suburbia is a psychedelic slow waltz. Tuna Cans is a self obsessed slow chase of a song that has a Radiohead-esque feel. The longer the song plays you feel like you are falling further in a fable. Love this track. Cat Woman also meanders in the most lovely and lush way.
The more I listen to Pattie Boyds I get the sense that these guys need to open up for Muse. Now that would be a concert that would take you off to faraway futuristic places and rock your face off.
-
Robb Donker
No comments:
Post a Comment