2017-11-26
rock clichés. There’s maybe an overabundance of guitar solos and silly machismo, the mixes can leave the album feeling a little sludgy and indistinct, and there’s even a backwards song designed to provoke 1980s mothers to interpretations of Satanist messages. But I for one will always give the benefit of the doubt to bands that sound like they sincerely love rock ‘n roll. Fathom XIX hits these songs properly hard, resembling early Mudhoney more than anyone else. And for an album as focused on symmetry as “Palace Law,” the second half is a substantially more interesting listen than the first. The band mixes up their pacing and becomes less concerned with domineering riffs. I would, however, like for someone to explain to singer Darin Wiltse that when talking about gold, karats are units of purity rather than weight, making the chorus “feel like 24 karats of solid gold” redundant.
Pros: Riffs, velocity.
Cons: Sounds like GRD will be putting them on heavy rotation very soon.
Primest Cuts: “Solid Gold” “Bring Me The World”
review by Kollen
NEW YORK DOLLS
DANCING BACKWARD IN HIGH HEELS
HOT CHIP
Made In The Dark
The Clientele
God Save the Clientele
Grave Hounds
According to Coyote
Electric Apricot
Quest For Festeroo
PROFESSOR LOUIE AND THE CROWMATIX
Whispering Pines
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.