Gloom Sleeper : " A Void"

There days Post-punk typically means a band that rips of Joy Division. This German band digs into a sound that pulls from the genre once called "college rock" in the 80s before the term alternative got marketed by Mtv in the 90s. I can hear a hint of  early R.E.M in where some of the vocal melodies want to go. There is a dead pan baritone that doesn't just karaoke Ian Curtis, but finds it's way into actual singing. His huskier rock voice has touches of New Model Army to it. Not unlike The Estranged in the explosive manner they attack this brand of melodic punk with a very organic rock n roll feel. Somehow it manages to be both stark and warm at the same time. The bass player certainly gets busy on "Behind the Doors" which tips the balance of the scales in a more rock direction. The guitar has a jangle that is not without muscle to propel it.

There is a more somber mood to "Like Ghosts" it's too upbeat for me to say that it's dark. The singer gets to glide his melodies with greater ease onto the jagged stabs of jerky guitar. The bass player gets most of the credit for making this possible. To play this style of music the bass player not only gets to step out from the shadows of the mix, but provide the glue to make these songs stick.The pace skips forward on "Paper Plane Revelations". The vocals stay in a similar spot for this one, but they have an endearing earnestness. The guitar tone takes on a brighter sonic space for "Silent Cries". It's also at this point in the album I begin to notice little electronic dashes swishing in from the corners. "Conspiracy" is a dynamic shift for the band with it dropping down into the bass line that has the guitar ringing in more like old school country at first, before the drums come in with a more rock beat. The rambling "Morbid Play" is like the previous song in that it also has touches of country mixed in like something New Model Army might do.

"Under a Red Night" finds backing vocals that remind me of Mike Muir from Suicidal Tendencies chiming in, this is first album Mike Muir not not rap metal Mike Muir. "Don't Look Into My Eyes" keeps a tension at it's frantic tempo, with some interesting guitar accents along the way.The album closes with the western reverb of "  the Spectre". It jangles to life punk energy. The vocals drop down into a lower monotone chant for the chorus . Overall these guys influences can be felt by a discerning ear, but most of the time the album plays off of it's momentum to obscure this fact and take you long on it's bouncy road. I'll give it an 8.

Up From the Underground: The Boston Boys - "Keep You Satisfied"

This  Boston based band sounds like they belong preforming on a corner of Bourbon Street with the blues inflected roustabout title track that sets their e.p. sailing. Boston is a college town and while from their chops some of the boys obviously attended Berklee, they are more focused on getting the frat party moving than dissecting jazz riffs.

The pop hooks to "Amelia" create an odd juxtaposition between a Justin Timberlake groove and Dave Matthews, while they might be trying to capture more of a roots music sound by the addition of a mandolin and a fiddle, they are used in a manner much more similar to Dave Matthews than anything on the Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack.  The vocals carry r&b nuances in phrasing and benefit from the mix and creative bells and whistles they dabble in on the production side.

The groove is the focal point to mid tempo "Endless Creation" . To these guys credit they manage to have a lot going on around the melody, with every instrument employing fill heavy embellishments to create the jam feel. Sometimes it brings to mind the solo work of Paul Simon, but this could also be said of David Matthews.

"Honeycomb" dances more of a jig around its self. They instrumentation swirls around itself while giving the vocals plenty of room to breathe. The r&b elements slide a little further into the spot light here. It becomes apparent every player is bringing a unique skill set of influences that are being mixed into this jumbo.

The ballad "Take Me Under" reminds me of something Ben Harper might do. The song seems a little too sparse in its attempt to become intimacy, as this sort thing isn't the band's strong suit. They work best when they are throwing a lot of different grooves, sounds and melodies at you and truth be told this folkish ballad is better left to those who that is their forte.

Overall this is a lot of fun and would be welcomes to any party in the French Quarter, though they have a built in audience in their hometown. There is a huge demand for this sort of thing, though only for the more open minded here at Abysmal Hymns, if you appreciate the Dave Matthews Band for their chops and ability to blend unique sounds then you will appreciate this effort as well, as they do not come across as a Dave Matthews Tribute band by any means having a compelling sound of their own.