My problem with finding new music generally comes from the fact that there are so many bands, and so many of those bands want to sound like other bands. So for many of us who are constantly seeking a musical fix we often find ourselves quite frustrated at the fact that we are never quite satisfied with what we have come across. This is especially true with genres that are often symbolized by an elite group of artists that are seen by people as figureheads of the style, so much to our dismay rarely does anything sound “fresh.” However, it is incredibly relieving to find a group who can fit so perfectly into a genre as straightforward as post-punk and still manage to give off a completely evolved sound. Thus is the case with Pleasure Leftists self titled debut EP, and you really have to applaud them for not ripping off any aspects of Joy Division, which in my experience is very hard to do.
There’s a very thin line between post-punk and various other genres that are usually thrown into the mix when trying to categorize bands that somehow trick you into wanting to do a seizure inspired dance to generally anticlimactic songs, but this is definitely straight post-punk. The best way to describe the overall sound of the group through a comparison would be Bauhaus meets Punctured Tough Guy, but this comparison in no way should take away from their own original touch. The vocals are in the higher range that constantly shift from a slurred moan to spastic squeaks and seems to blend in as just another instrument. It must be said that no member of the group took the easy way out in writing their part and there are many small details in the overall composition of the songs that no instrument can be singled out as the “lead.”
No song on this EP stands out more than the others, and that just means that each song is solid in all aspects, making its entire seventeen minutes a straightforward and entertaining listen. The highlight song on the EP would probably be the second track “Morning in a Room” mostly due to the fact that writing an anticlimactic yet exciting song seems like a pretty hard thing to do.
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that if you take a post-punk riff out of context it could possibly be from an Iron Maiden song?
-Julian
No comments:
Post a Comment