A lot of new music falls into one of two categories:
80’s revival (especially post-punk, think all of those bands influenced by Joy Division and MBV)
or
surf tinged garage punk
There are very few bands who manage to execute the latter well. It’s too easy for them to sound cheesy, insincere, or some horrid combination of both. Call me biased, but a driving factor behind this is the fact that most of these bands are not very well acquainted with the California sun.
That being said, the San Diego based band The Soft Pack reigns supreme—not only in their signature brand of garage rock, but in the general world of indie music. I have been salivating over this band since the very beginning (when they were known as The Muslims); there is something about them that I just adore. I was scared that this magic might fade over time, but, having heard their first full length album, I am reassured of their purity of sound.
They take tried and true hooks and make them their own. The album is insufferably listenable. Every track is vital. It’s 32 minutes of unbridled hyperactivity packed into delectable bite sized pieces. They sing about preachers on crack (“Pull Out”) and metaphorical oceans (“Tides of Time”) and manage to create exact musical parallels to their lyrics. The self titled debut is a return to basics—no synths, no instrumental tracks—just good, gritty fun doused with Pacific waves.
4.8/5
This is the best album I’ve heard so far in the year and I am sure that I’ll continue loving it well into the months (and years) to come. highly.fucking.recommended.
it will drop in your local indie record shop next TUESDAY (2nd February), please do us both a favour and pick it up. really, this album is A MUST-LISTEN.
The Soft Pack – Answer to Yourself [mp3]
I heard this song for the first time a while ago but I still love it because it really is the perfect microcosm of this album. and it makes me wanna dance.
The Soft Pack will play RICKSHAW STOP on Thursday at 10PM. You better bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be there. they will also play a free instore at Amoeba Berkeley on Wednesday at 6PM, which I wish I could attend but, you know, work sucks.
visit them on MYSPACE
2 comments:
Haha, I like The Drums... the pungency of their particular cheese appeals to me, but I'm slightly bitter over never having been on a tropical vacation. So they're on a playlist called, "Where's my #@#%$ tropical vacation?!?"
That said, between the Soft Pack and Field Music's new release, February's looking good already.
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