|
|
|
BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About
LOTD
|
Schooner:
You Forget about Your Heart
Pox World Empire delivers another wonderful, little record in Schooners debut, You Forget about Your Heart. I first heard Schooner on Pox Worlds Compulation Volume 1, last years excellent compilation of artists from the North Carolina Triangle. The Raleigh natives' track on that compilation, Long, Long Time, appears again on this 8-song debut. However, listening to the rest of this release, its evident that this slow, pop song was not necessarily characteristic of the bands sound. The breadth of variety that Schooner offers on such a short release is mighty impressive. Unexpectedly, the album kicks off with an infectious guitar riff and a snappy, driving beat, eventually leading into a wall of distorted guitar and echoing vocals, all of which bears some comparison to that trendy urbanite garage sound. But certainly dont write Schooner off as just another garage band, because that couldnt be further from accurate; within the choruses of that same song, My Friends Band, you can hear lead singer, Reid Johnson surprisingly resembling the swaggery drawl of the Afghan Whigs Greg Dulli. Within just eight tracks, Schooner manages to reinvent its sound over and over again. Days Under Cover is almost a 50s throwback with its 3-beat, slow-dance sound, eventually leading to a wall-of-guitar chorus that takes you back only one decade rather than five. North Carolinians always seem to like some noise with their pop, and Schooner is no exception. On Open Door, the band adds multiple effects to its dreamy, Southern pop music, and the resemblance to Sparklehorse resounds. But as soon as you find yourself getting lost in this song, youre awoken by the gloriously reckless next track, Stunts and Showmanship and Codes, only to be soothed back into a calm lull by the slightly twangy, lo-fi album-closer, The Machine Is Running Out. I have yet to be disappointed by a release from Pox World Empire, and Schooner raises the bar with this debut. Look for them on tour in the mid-Atlantic and east coast this fall.
This album can be purchased at Pox World Empire About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
