MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 9/25/2024
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Keep for Cheap “Dark”
In “Dark,” tender indie vocals are carefully laid over stripped back melodies which slowly spread outwards and dissolve into multilayered noise. Ruminating on morbid curiosity, and our propensity to default to worst case scenarios, this track represents the snowballing catharsis some find in their dark imagination and the contradicting but very human anxiety that comes with being stuck in those negative thoughts. The complicated feelings accompanying partial desensitisation are fully realized by the subtle, growing discordant fuzz throughout the track, with a twinkling, otherwordly swell pushing forward in the mix as the vocalist’s timbre strengthens. Repetitions of the phrase “Can’t stop it now,” are beautiful and haunting in equal measure as the track fades away to leave space for lingering, disturbing frequencies. Keep for Cheap have truly captured a “dark” headspace in song, weaving anxiety-inducing tones with spacey intrigue; they utilize subtle dissonance and curious noise with raw, unfiltered instrumentals and a beautifully soothing vocalist.
I Want To Eat Lava And God Cannot Stop Me "Jumping"
Rambunctious but introverted, “Jumping” has an optimistic melody, yet its lyrics are devastating to read dry: “I feel like jumping out the window now…/...I am something forgettable.” I Want to Eat Lava and God Cannot Stop Me bring a catchy but poignant poeticism to the table, where metaphors evolve over the course of the song as the protagonist realizes that there is someone else in the equation to blame for their grief. The final relief of them breaking an abusive, self-hating cycle justifies the sweetness of the song’s instrumentals - “I feel lighter than everything/I am subject to no one else/I am falling straight out of your life.” Gentle backing vocals reinforce the duality of the relationships at stake and add lovely layering. “Jumping” is from the band’s Do You Care? EP, released in July 2024.
MAGICK FLAVOUR STATION "I'M SO TIRED"
Baked in fuzzy lo-fi, “I’M SO TIRED” (from MAGICK FLAVOUR STATION’s August 2024 release, TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY) has a toned down soundscape with a vaporwave aesthetic. This track is loaded with dreamy, distant vocals which conjure images of abandoned lunch halls long after closing time with freshly waxed floors reflecting up at us, bouncing sound from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. The keys in this song end up programmed to a xylophone-like tone, adding a layer of childlike nostalgia and whimsy to the song as its vocals continue softly. The other layers of sound at play settle on the listener’s ear as if swaddling us in soft blankets. MAGICK FLAVOUR STATION have mastered sad anthems that pacify the racing mind, cutting through agitation with their echoing, mellow beats.
Sonic Sea Turtles "Binge the Night Away"
The way this song kicks into life reminds me of an anime OP (and I have a Death Note tattoo, so this is absolutely intended to be a compliment.) There’s a niftiness, a precision in their otherwise intensely grungy guitar licks - a Math-Rock styling - that feels like J-Rock to me, though the band picks up quickly to run in their own direction. Sonic Sea Turtles blend hardcore influences with pop-punk characteristics and more to make their own substantial concoction of post-hardcore sound. “Binge the Night Away,” released on the August 2024 EP Orbit Never Found Me, feels like Sonic Sea Turtles took the bones of a more traditionally emo song, drenched it in grit and punk rock, and, with plenty of skill, drew out a new, fresh oddity for us to marvel at. It feels fresh this way, and with that freshness, they are currently playing shows.
Sister Species "Take Everything and Scatter It"
Sister Species know how to capture sunshine in a song; this track is no exception. The band brings us sweet chamber pop realness with “Take Everything and Scatter It,” from the LP Lena and the Bog, released in September 2024. As its genre implies, “Take Everything and Scatter It” has that full, big band feel, complete with a horn section and clean, well enunciated lead vocals. The song is loaded with cute similes (“I’d hold you if you wanted to be held/Like an insect in amber on my shelf/And I would free you if you wanted to be free/And scatter you like a seed”) which feel genuine and precious, while touchingly invoking imagery of spreading a loved one’s ashes. On October 24th (for $15 in advance, or $20 day of show,) Sister Species has an album release party for Lena and the Bog at The Cedar, which is sure to be a good time.
Absinthe "L'Appel Du Vide"
“L’Appel Du Vide” (or, “the call of the void”) is something I know plenty about, so my curiosity was piqued by the title Absinthe’s latest release. This track takes us on a journey where the band’s spunky aggression stays playful throughout. Don’t let its mischievousness fool you, though: the instrumentation is as mean as ever, with lavish, distortion-heavy guitar riffs aplenty matched to a palatable, funky bass line and full-bodied, exuberant percussion. This is a story of an addictive (see: toxic) relationship, told via sexy, catchy lyrics (“I’m gonna change my name/To whatever she wants to call me” … “She used to wear heels just to rest her head on my shoulder”) nestled in a bed of grunge. Absinthe have characterized their “L’Appel Du Vide” as desire, a metaphor which is both interesting and fun.
