Tag: take the cake

PACKS Share Another Single from Woah EP

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When the press release talked of Madeline Link’s approach to this EP, this was exactly what I imagined, having grown super familiar with her voice on PACKS Take the Cake LP. Link’s voice was always a dominating factor, and that gift sustains your listening experience here, though we get a little bit more of an intimate songwriting approach here, so much so that you can hear the buzz of the strings as they’re strummed. Structurally, the song’s seem ready to jump through your speakers, as you can hear the power in the craft, but it succeeds in its quietness. Perhaps down the road they get a revisit, but the natural charm of Link’s songwriting supersedes anything else at the moment. Woah EP is out July 8th via Fire Talk.

Packs Announce Stripped-Down EP

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I just caught Packs a few weeks back when they were traveling around the country in support of Good Morning; we ended up all drinking the famed Armodelo’s from La Perla into the early morning hours. The band put on a solid set, centered around the songwriting prowess of Madeline Link, and that seems to be where we’ll dwell on the new Stripped-Down EP. It’s a collection of songs that are “stripped down” to the acoustic guitar and Link’s vocals, written in between periods of touring, allowing us to look into Madeline’s process. You can get the full EP on July 8th courtesy of Fire Talk, but in the meantime, the debut LP, Take the Cake is already out there for your enjoyment.

PACKS Share Hold My Hand

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This Friday we’ll be treated to the much anticipated debut album from PACKS, but before we get there, we should just indulge ourselves in one last little grungy ditty; I mean you can never really get enough of this lot if you ask me. They crank the song out in under 2 minutes, so they get right to it, with Madeline teasing the listener along over a mild guitar before the rest of the band drops in, and things get turned up into a classic pop rocker. I think one of the things I love about this band is how quickly they go from rock to really subtle pop nuances, even if they last for a mere three seconds, like Madline’s annunciation of “hand” at the 1:17 mark. Just good old clean fun. Take the Cake is out Friday via Fire Talk Records.

Packs Share Two Hands Video

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I’ve been really high on the new Packs tunes; I love how Madeline Link seems to escape the trappings of super formulaic pop rock…at least in my mind, she’s not hitting the highlights like I’ve heard others do. For one, the guitar work here almost seems in demo form, the mix keeps it grounded, leaving listeners with the perfect slice of a pseudo-grunge riff; I can easily here the wrong person trying to blow up the volume there, but its softer side allows for Link’s voice to hold the whole of the song without much interference. Speaking of that voice, how are you not mesmerized by it? Has the perfect pitch and tone; I’m super stuck on it. Take the Cake will drop on May 21st via Fire Talk.

PACKS Drop Silvertongue + Announce Take the Cake

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For many of us, “Silvertongue” is our first listen to PACKS, and what a way to start things off! It’s 3 minutes of fuzzy riffs and cooled vocals that announce the band as an act we should all have on our radar this year. Personally, I love the space the song gives to the guitar work, letting it ring out in various spots to keep the edge of the song there as singer Madeline Links lets her voice fade atop those riffs; it just gives the song more of a distinct feel, like it’s not being dialed in with a formula. My two cents anyways. Plus, better news is Take the Cake, the debut LP, will be out on May 21st via Fire Talk/Royal Mountain.

Pharmacy Keys Share Take the Cake

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Really been enjoying this track from Cleveland’s Pharmacy Keys, so I why not start off today’s quarantine listening by sharing it with you. It started off with this sort of college rock nod, heavy riffs with underlying melody. But, what really grabbed me was the chorus, and the way the band combine their voices to harmonize, bringing the pop sensibility down upon us; it kind of reminds me to the way Harlem would pull off their gang vocals, only being done here in cool/calm fashion. If you dig what you’re hearing, the band are dropping their album Conjuress today.