DOWNTOWN BOYS Cost Of Living Sub Pop (2017)
A
7/10
t a time where discrimination towards the Latino and LGBTQ communities in America is precipitously rising, Downtown Boys are only more emboldened in their M.O. of pugnacious, anti-establishment punk. Signing with Sub Pop and working with Fugazi’s Guy Piccioto for their third full-length record, the Rhode Island quartet eases back on the stampeding double-times that were abundant in their previous album, instead taking their time to sculpt out more melodies. Along with a bit more backing from synthesizers, guitars expand beyond fervent bar chords, delivering more defined lead riffs in “I’m Enough (I Want More),” “Clara Rancia,” and the Dead Kennedys-esque “Because You.” And while the horn sections are as present this time around, they make their moments count in “Lips That Bite” and “It Can’t Wait.” On top of it all, frontwoman Victoria Ruiz’s abrasive vocals remain the driving force of the band’s sound. Though her lyrics may not be as laser-focused as some of their punk peers, Ruiz is unwavering with what she’s standing up for, from her shouts delegitimizing Trump’s cornerstone political promise in “A Wall,” to her Spanish rallying cries supporting her heritage in “Somos Chulas (No Somos Pendejas),” its title translating to “We are intelligent, we SAM MENDEZ are not idiots.”
STAFF PICK
EERA Reflection Of Youth
Big Dada Records (2017)
8/10
EERA, the moniker of the Norwegian-born Anna Lena Bruland, portrays with her debut album, Reflection Of Youth, “a tumultuous chapter in her life” – the moment where you’re trying to figure out what you’re supposed to do with your life. That portray though is far from being one-dimensional, which is especially perceptible through the album’s assorted sounds and its distinctive approaches. For the most part, the record sounds indeed like a sonic representation of a reflection with its slow, sometimes meditative, pace, and it’s in those very careful steps taken that EERA thrives. It’s with songs like “Beast” where the listener can fully appreciate the slow brushes on the canvas and the absolutely delicious and adventurous left turns... But it’s with “Christine” that the craftsmanship of EERA’s songwriting becomes undeniable. TIAGO MOREIRA
106
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH... COLIN STETSON (EX EYE)
A
re there any records out there that create that same sensation to the one that you are trying to create with Ex Eye? I don’t think there’s anything in particular that we’ve been patterning off of or trying to emulate, and broadly trying to answer, “Are there any records out there that affect me in visceral or sensory perceptive ways” could go on and on for days. Specifically, it wasn’t a conscious effort; we weren’t trying specifically to leave off and not be influenced by any one thing, but it really wasn’t part of the conversation. We never started off saying, “Let’s try to do some Meshuggah moment or something.” It really was just borne out of our musical conversations and intuition. No emulation consciously though I know we’re just experiential filters so everything is influential to some extent. For all that, listening to the record, it still feels fun. Yeah, it has everything going for it that you just described, but it also feels like you guys are having a great time just playing off each other. How enjoyable has this experience been for you? It’s the best. We all love it and when we’re on the road, in tight quarters in the van for long drives, days that would have crippled any other band really just barely fazed us. It’s just a really beautiful, unique group of close friends and we all are not only dedicated to the music but also personally to one another, so we laughed a lot and had tremendous fun. We’re not without the dynamics of reality and there are things we have to work on musically; we address things on a nightly level after a show – what went well, what we can improve and capitalise on – but it’s a wonderfully egalitarian setting. Everybody is free to speak their mind, it’s a great group and I’m looking forward to more.
EX EYE Ex Eye
Relapse Records (2017)
8/10
C
ombining the forces of avant-garde saxophonist Colin Stetson, Greg Fox (Liturgy) and Shahzad Ismaily (Secret Chiefs 3), Ex Eye are the kind of band who defy expectation and definition. It’s like being caught in the fever dreams of M.C. Escher, a twisted tangle of bewildering time signatures, extraordinary musical prowess and no shortage of pulsating, invigorating drama. The key to its holding together is the way in which it pulls the unexpected out of its players, surging forward with Fox’s relentlessly precise drumming whilst Stetson adds definition and a sense of punctuality, both being tied together by Ismaily’s hypnotic, near-extraterrestrial meanderings. It’s busy, but those involved have such an innate sense of time and space that listening to it is like peering into another universe – alien but who knows what will happen if your attention ever slips. DAVE BOWES