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The Upside
Down: Trust Electricity
The Upside Down are a band from Portland Oregon, and theres a lot to like about their new release Trust Electricity. First of all, the album comes off as a stylishly produced record that reminds me of the Dandy Warhols. Take one part jangling pop, some introspective guitar lines, a bit of understated male and female vocals, and all sorts of cool creative ideas, and you get quite a complete album with varying yet equally intriguing songs. So if songs like Blackeye Liner and Wake up Drive Thru conjure up the Dandy Warhol references, Saint Theresa of the Roses takes you to a totally different realm. Subtle uses of synthesizer creep into this ballad-styled song, but it really has a somber tone to it, kind of like a quiet track from Placebos catalog. A little harmonica works its way into the song Elizabeth, and Drag Race certainly stomps a bit like an early but tame Jesus and Mary Chain track. Dutchess of York opens with some organ, so if you havent gotten the picture yet, this album has a nice mix of rock song styles, even if the styles are familiar. What isnt familiar is the precise care that the band takes in filling its songs out to reach full potential. Instead of beating one or two hooks into the listeners tired ear, The Upside Down work hard at building their songs up with multiple elements so that each track sounds fresh and dynamic in its own way. Plus, this release has fifteen decent-sized rock tracks on it, so you get the idea that Trust Electricity is the result of a long period of work and creativity. Then The Upside Down finish their album off with a cover of Norman Greenbaums Spirit In the Sky, in which they add some flat effect on the vocals without twisting the song too far from the familiar guitar riffs that define the original version. All and all, this is a solid album and one worth owning, and I imagine that The Upside Down will attract some new fans with this release.
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