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BANDS: Punk
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Verbal:
The Name We Sell Now
Verbal is a three-piece band that focuses on instrumental songwriting in sort of a jazzy, improvisational style using the basic elements of drums, guitar, and bass. Ditching the vocals and the use of such limited instrumentation may not seem like an exciting concept, but it serves to highlight the dynamic ranges in sound that the band is capable of creating while using such a simple formula. I was a bit scared by opener Kitt V Vicki. It had a bouncy, upbeat, and improvisational sound that began to spell out jam-band to me. What a relief it was that track two Gin is an Angry Drink seemed to round up with a heavier edge that reminded me a little bit of Cursive. So, the majority of these tracks seem to point Verbal towards a much healthier genre of music, perhaps like a lighter version of Don Caballero. I will make no hesitation to say that I like Verbal best when they are play their heavier songs. Songs like Edgar St. starts strong, but it dips slightly in and out of jam band clich at times. Come Clean has some odd vocal chanting in the middle that sounds a bit out of place, but it does do a nice job of transitioning the song into new territory. The band is competent at catching your attention with their music considering their genre choice. Like Mogwai, the intensity in their songs can drift up and down in a way that keeps the listener engaged. They never get nearly as heavy as Mogwai, but Verbal has a nice sound of its own. In fact, buried in the closing few minutes of the album, at the end of The Name You Know is the Name You Trust, Verbal do break into a noisy little section that can hold up to some of the better known rock instrumentalists. Theyre based in the DC area, and they seem like a pretty worthy band to check out live some time. The market for instrumental rock bands may be pretty small nowadays, but Verbals focus on the music allows them to avoid stylistic classification enough so that a wide array of music fans can appreciate their instrumental talents.
Check Amazon, Insound and CD Universe to purchase this album.
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