Friday, June 29, 2012

Carry On


        Owl Paws, the band that has captivated the hearts and minds of the San Francisco Folk/Indie scene, continues their enigmatic growth with the release of their newest album. A six song EP full of upbeat indie-folk musings detailing the intricacies of life and love, Carry On showcases the development of the band from a purely acoustic based movement, as seen on their self titled debut EP, to the finely tuned troupe heard on this record. From the ethereal atmospheric layers of “Hoot” to the eerie downward movement that is “The Seed,” Owl Paws demonstrates their improvement as a band and the scope of their song writing abilities. 
         The long time standby for the band entitled “Singing Strong,” is a sobering consortium of airy guitars and vocal melodies meeting in a solemn bliss. Featured at the end of Carry On, “Singing Strong” is an old classic reworked for a new audience. Singer/songwriter Derek Schultz’s booming yet tame vocals expand across the track with seamless execution as a calming guitar intro begins the track, soon accented by the light touches of an acoustic guitar. As Schultz coons and pores out his soul about the woes of searching for love, the beautiful and calming touches of Brooke Dabalos can be heard rising above him. While soft and endearing, they do seem to be a tad overdone. A slide guitar precisely cuts into the tune at the halfway mark, slicing its way through the airy sonic layers of the band as the acoustic guitar carries the song along. The drums make their entry into the song a tad too late with an awkward snare roll that almost eliminates the warmth of the song. An upbeat bouncy outro accompanied by a light piano proves to be a solid finish to the song. However, nostalgia for the acoustic version of old burns deep. 
        The single of the album “Sunrise” rises above the rest and with its bubble gum guitar lines, bright vocal melodies and delicate chord changes. Transitioning from the downtrodden minor verses to the infectiously upbeat major choruses with simplistic ease, Owl Paws demonstrates their innate song writing abilities perfectly on this track. “But if the sun won’t rise/the body can’t die again” hum Schultz and Dabalos over the thumping bass lines of bassist Tim Vickers, while a soothing violin massages the surface of the sonic landscape. Bound to be on stuck in your head on those bright sunny days, “Sunrise” and its strong pop structuring deserves to be at the top of any playlist. On top of this the driving velocity of “The Field” pumps up the listener, as it beats down on you like the friendly rays of the sun on a hot summer day. “The Seed” however does quite the opposite, as the dripping piano of Deballos and trickling guitar lines of guitarist/vocalist Colin Hayes brings to mind those introverted rainy days of winter. While the musicianship of the song proves to be impressive, the song is erratic and it is not until the halfway mark that a steady structure can be heard. The band breaks out into a depressing downward spiral, filled with cavernous harmonies and cooing ohs, breaking down the emotional integrity of any listener. A very dark piece from a naturally bright band. 
This natural feel is sadly brought down, through no fault of the band, by the mechanized production of the drums. Despite this, the clarity in the record brings its potential to the forefront. A stepping stone from their folky debut EP, Carry On, shows a vast improvement in the bands dynamics and song writing ability. Potential revealed and medium's expanded, it is obvious that Owl Paws has much to prepare for in the future. To be released in late August by Urban Scandal Records, it calls for the prospective ears of the masses and the critical ears of the obsessive. 

Rating: 3.6/5

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Wasteland


       New York hardcore, perhaps the toughest sub-genre within the already extremely hot headed hardcore community, proudly provides a long standing track record of influential bands. (Cro-mags, Biohazard, Judge, just to name a few) New York never fails to eject pure brutality into an already intense genre. Provider continues that tradition with their latest seven inch release, Wasteland, now out on Life to Live records. 
Following the the footsteps of the aforementioned bands, while providing a strengthened modern twist similar to their contemporaries, Provider quickly slaps listeners in the face with Wastelands eleven minutes of pure aggression. Coming off as a mix of thrash infused hardcore, think Alpha and Omega, and “hardstyle” hardcore such as Trapped Under Ice, Provider stomps out all who oppose them on. Transitioning from quick breakbeat rhythms to enormous back bending breakdowns with simplistic ease and quietly returning as if nothing happened, proves to be the bands strong point. The opening track “Bonekeeper” forcefully demonstrates their prowess as its shoved down the listeners ear. 
A ferocious NYHC, hip-hop influenced guitar riff opens the song, leading up to an explosive entrance from the rest of the band complemented by a skillful dance on the hi-hat. The breakbeat continues full force, trampling all in its path. Soon, as if the the pure energy of the movement could no longer be contained, the band releases into a pounding movement, guitars slowly dripping down the listeners spine, like a knife being pushed in deeper. The lines “Count the ways I live in regret/Forever I pay this unending debt” are painstakingly stretched out over the section, seething of anger and angst. With an assertive “UH” as if signaling an attack, the song ends with a series of powerful chugs, complimented by a driving bass and creeping high hat/snare combo. 
The rest of the album continues in much of the same manner. Throat scratching, strained vocals litter the sonic landscape while the band swings to and fro in full force. Another highlight is the thrash filled “Losing Ground.” Brining to mind the best of Alpha and Omega as the band tears through the listeners ear drums. The album ends on a strong note with the quick chaotic explosion that is ”Curse.” Clocking in just under two minutes it is one of the most straight forward songs on Wasteland. A simple power violence/NYHC riff repetitively dominates, speeding up and slowing down in rhythm until the final moments when powerful chugs and a series of creeping floor tom hits take center stage. 
What Provider essentially provides, no pun intended, is the ability to showcase the best of NYHC. The metallic chugs, the painfully hardened vocals, the hip-hop inspired beats. It is all there. What is essential for the band now is to make their own niche within the genre. In a sea of fish only the strong survive, wether it be through pure aggression, originality or something more. Wasteland is a product of the school, and a pristine one at that. All Provider needs now is to break free. 
Rating: 3/5