Swimsuit-
demo tape review
This review is almost out of place,
for two reasons- this is a very atypical release for me to review, and this
also came out two years ago. However,
the release is deserving of a review for the sheer weirdness and the odd mix of
sounds making this band punk in nature, if not in sound.
The first song “Dolphins” is a
vocal-less shoegaze-y indie jam song that is definitely the black sheep of the
demo. “Evaporation” is my favorite track on the demo- it sounds like a mix of
the Ramones and maybe Patti Smith- simplistic yet artsy, energetic yet
insightful, soft yet biting (I’d like to see what an angry singer could turn
this song into- it’d be beautifully ugly); it truly sticks with me for hours at
a time. “At the Falls” has a similar
vibe, but is very bass heavy and despite the light-hearted sound the guitar
creates, the moody booms the bass creates are a continuing reminder of life’s
bleak moments, the perfect measurement of things happy and sad. Though the guitar largely does not follow a
rhythm pattern, I feel as though it has a more artsy version of the Ramones
inscribed in the sound. “Glow Machine”
comes off sounding like a 60s psychedelic surf rock jam not unlike the Trashmen,
then moves into a more traditional rock n’ roll meets indie rock vibe, and
alternating between the two sounds therein.
Truly odd, but the tormented, dark soul shall still find solace in this
sound and song. The last track “Sunlight”
is the garage sound meets the surf-rocks sound of the 60s- the shrill shouts of
the singer seem like a plea for help, yet the sound does not indicate as
such. It’s the autonomous soul
exorcising its demons, its pain from the depth of its being. It is not always easily understood, but it is
relatable music. I was surprised to like
this as much as I did- fantastic work from some kindred spirits, whether be
they tormented souls or not.
-Aunty Social
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