OFFICIAL: http://www.slowburningcar.com/
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Written
by Laura Dodero, posted by blog admin
Hailing
from Los Angeles, CA; Slow Burning Car are a quirky quartet that mesh various
different hard rock influences into an album that delivers an experience that’s
best heard as an uninterrupted whole.
The band’s fourth disc Defection
may start off textbook enough with “Alpha Duplicor’s” teeth-gnashing, hard rock
guitar riffs, angst-ridden yet melodic vocals and throbbing percussion that’s a
storm of snare/tom fill transitions but Slow Burning Car switches style on a
dime and never lingers on the same musical turf for too long.
A
smorgasbord of sound awaits the listener at Defection’s
every corner turn. Whirling dervish
guitar leads, crisp punk riffing, steadfast drumming and smooth vocal
melodies/harmonies are “Soul Crimes’” bread n’ butter from the first note to
the last. They toy with this basic
format and deviate it on every inch of “The Orb,” where vocoder vocal harmonies
congeal in perfect unison with bassist/lead vocalist Troy Spiropoulos’ stark,
bull-rushing raps in the verses spilling over into excellent lead melodies in
the choruses. All throughout Adam
Idell’s fast hands and drumming dexterity put him in line with John Stanier’s
visionary work in every project he’s helmed from Helmet to Battles. Guitarists Jesse Damon and Tommy Marcel provide
thorough engagement throughout by molding pedal noise into melodic textures,
locking onto dense rhythm riffs and building incendiary punk rock leads up into
towering, 80s metal styled solos.
There’s
a deep love for all things punk on defection and sometimes instead of adding
their unique flourishes to the beloved genre, they just go for verse/chorus,
energetically riffed nods to tradition on hook-laden tracks like “Devil in the
Room” and “You Can’t Stay Here.” It’s
unusual how these guys can go from such simple, ear-pleasing takes on punk then
completely shake-up their songwriting attributes on a head-swimming,
singer/songwriter acoustic number like “Bedtime.” Backing keyboards add delectable layers to
this track while Troy’s vocals range from melodic croons to bleary-eyed spoken
word as the guitar unfold one melodic lick after another. Further weirdness ensues on a track like “The
Sunday Derby” which shimmers and shakes in-tune with Guzzard’s pop-punk coated,
blistering 90s noise-rock; angular, off-time bass grooves collide into squealy
swipes of twitchy guitar-work and free-form vocals for a sonic wallop that’s
very much like the skronk-y, candy-coated atonal rock of the aforementioned
Guzzard.
“Chrysanthemum”
is another brushstroke of mesmerizing acoustic guitars and deeper, scratchy
vocal melodies. The arrangements and
textures are darker than “Bedtime,” though the melodic penchant is firmly
attack. Light percussion accoutrements,
menacing double-tracked whispers, multi-tracked acoustic guitars and melancholy
synths further the creepier atmosphere of this stripped-down piece. “Polar Warden” takes this blueprint and flips
it by emphasizing the bass in a mellow, psychedelic jam that’s full of acerbic
guitar noise, synth-drones, feedback and other scraping textures. The record culminates with “Clouds’” rolling,
tribal tom heavy backbeats and summit ascending guitar sweeps that erupt into
sonic might as the ebbing 6-string textures erode into mountainous, 70s soaked
hard-rock riffs. There are some sampled
horns and unusual guitar interplay throughout this number that reminds me of
Queens of the Stone Age’s Self-Titled
debut or even Torche’s heady, pop metal combo.
Vocally, this tune features some of Troy’s best work with solar-charged
melodies that ascend to lofty heights.
Defection is the surprise
of the year from a veteran band that just keeps getting better and better. It’s hard-hitting and powerful but never
forsakes melody for total brute force.
With no limits on the songwriting ethic, the results are boundless and
you’ll find that the tracks never get boring and constantly have you reaching
for the repeat button.
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