Category: Reviews

Blackbird Blackbird – Boracay Planet EP

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

While the newest effort from Blackbird Blackbird is labeled as an EP, please don’t feel like you’re going to get shorted here.  In contrast to the earlier work of Mikey Maramag, the five songs on the Boracay Planet EP are much more expansive than the work he did on his Halo LP, with four out of five songs stretching over 4 minutes.  It’s a combination of electronic swirls and tight guitar work, bringing about a strikingly beautiful piece of work.

It takes nearly two minutes for “It’s A War” to build its way into a song with lyrics, but the tension created is perfect for the release that eventually comes.  For me the most striking effect is the background vocal that accompanies Maramag.  At times it’s sung, but there’s a few moments where the emotion of the voice shines through.  And the angular guitar line that knifes its way through the end of the song is something quite special. It’s a track that slowly unfolds, demonstrating the focus put into the latest Blackbird Blackbird release.

“All” is one of the various tracks that surfaced before the official release.  Vocals begin with a whisper, and the music again unfolds in a dramatic sense.  I like the restraint shown in the pacing of the tune, knowing that if Mikey had sped things up he’d have a certified club hit on his hands.  My mind wants to say this is all purposeful, making Boracay Planet more of an emotional affair, maximizing the listener’s involvement in the listening experience.

My first listen to “Tear” was a little unsettling when compared to the EP as a whole.  There’s little electronic glitches, which I personally find a bit overused at times, nostalgically pointing back to 90s club music.  But, there’s another, lighter, beat that bubbles beneath the song when you move past the one minute mark that eventually gave the song more life.  That being said, it’s the one song I’ll occasionally skip over while listening to this collection.  That can’t be said, however, about “Keep It Up,” which grabbed me by the heartstrings from the minute it came on the stereo.  The combination of guitar and electronics creates this melodious vibe that is quite moving.  Maramag uses brevity with the lyrics, so as not to detract from the song’s capacity to please.

Blackbird Blackbird closes out this affair with a reflective sort of song, at least in the title.  “Happy With You” seems to be the most message-oriented track on the EP, but what I’m taking from it is that it’s okay to be wrong/right, as long as you appreciate the place that you’re living.  It’s a hard-fought place to find yourself, but in the end I think that it sort of encompasses the mood of Boracay Planet EP.  It’s not an overstated record, and if anything, it’s slightly understated.  Emotions are maximized throughout, leaving listeners with an electronic album build around billowy song structures and blossoming melodies.  Something special this way comes.

 

Tame Impala – Lonerism

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Rating: ★★★★☆

When Tame Impala burst onto the scene, they were pretty much atop everyone’s list for their creative first effort, Innerspeaker, but while the adoration has remained, the music seems to have shifted.  Lonerism is almost absent of guitars, choosing to craft songs out of layer upon layer of electronic samples and drumming, rather than fill your speakers with shifting guitar noises.  If you can discern the beauty herein, you’ll find a record worthy of repeated listens.

Statements are made almost immediately, with “Be Above It,” opening to a propulsive drum beat and repetitive vocal sample.  Musically, that’s about all you get from the track, though the drum begins to echo a bit more and the vocal is replaced with a more sincere pop lyric.  It’s a pretty empty track when you look at it musically, yet somehow the vocal grew on me as I listened time and time again.  Similarly, “Endors Toi” takes an approach filled with beeps and bloops and break-beat drumming.  It’s as if you’re listening to early DJ Shadow run through a mixing board by the kids in Black Moth Super Rainbow.  But, at the heart of the track is this glorious chorus, showing that while the Tame Impala has altered their sound, they’re still nearing perfection.

Personally, I still find myself gravitating towards the tracks that feature a more prominent guitar line, such as “Mind Mischielf.”  It’s got a crunchy bit of guitar that doesn’t seem to carry too much musical construction, almost as if it was placed atop the music in post-production.  For me, the vocal’s tone closely resembles the pop explosion that I set out looking for in Lonerism, even as it seems to fade out far too often.  “Elephant” is another such song, using a chugging guitar line that plugs away in your ears rhythmically throughout.  The darker tones of the guitar are perfectly juxtaposed with the flow of the lyrics, making the song neither grim nor overly happy, although that keyboard mid-track definitely brings up the spirit quotient.

Even with an absence of guitars for the most part, or minimized guitar work, there are still songs that evoke traditional songwriting, in both structure and melodic approach.  My favorite is perhaps “Keep On Lying,” which opens with a fade in that rather appears like a fade out.  Somehow Tame Impala have managed to organize the structure of the track where the beats almost resonate as guitar stabs or downstrokes, applying the traditional formula, albeit in their own way.  And, as the song unfolds, a guitar does come noodling its way into the track, providing yet another layer of sound to push the jam further, even when the lyrics disappear.

Honestly, Lonerism is a far more adventurous effort than what I originally expected.  I almost hoped that it was a re-hash of the first album, knowing that would more than satisfy me, but as I’ve spent more time with Tame Impala, I can see that this might be more rewarding in the long-run. It’s not something you’ll immediately “get” or fall in love with, yet the nuances of construction make it pretty brilliant.  Only time will tell the story of this record’s longevity, but for now, I don’t really want to listen to anything else.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Apocalypse-Dreams.mp3]

Download:Tame Impala – Apocalypse Dreams [MP3]

Letting Up Despite Great Faults – Untogether

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Rating: ★★★½☆

I wondered if the move from Los Angeles to Austin would have any effect on Letting Up Despite Great Faults, but it’s clear that the only thing on the horizon for the group are great things.  Their latest effort, Untogether, is a dense combination of shoe-gaze, electronica and wayward pop; it’s a tapestry of all the important sounds of our time.

“Visions” begins things with a ringing guitar that soon meets a slight keyboard before launching into a heavier haze of sounds.  Soon you’ll hear Mike Lee seemingly whisper into the microphone; I love how the lyrics are present, yet still maintain an element of distance.  It’s a tactic used frequently by the group, but it’s the musical elements that create differentiation throughout, blending genres as if they were irrelevant. “Scratch,” for instance follows the opener with a more angular guitar and keyboard stabs, all the while a pulsing rhythm broods in the background.  Sure, you can put these tunes in the same world, but they don’t necessarily have to live together.

One of the things I like about Letting Up Despite Great Faults is the band’s ability to reside in one place, musically speaking, then another, then jump off to combine it all into a creative pop tune.  For instance, you can take the dance heavy “Bulletproof Girl,” coated in electronic beats galore.  You’d think for a moment that Untogether was going to be dance-floor ready from here on out, but not so.  The following track “Details of My World” has a great bass line, allowing you to don your best boots for shaking it, but it also has this slightly jangling guitar that only increases in volume throughout the track.  They back that right up to the fuzzier “Breaking,” which is softer, yet coated in a fuller wash of atmospheric haze.  Lee’s vocals definitely take on a more gentle/intimate tone.  It all sounds so distinctive, yet tied so well together.

But, I’ll admit that the band threw me for a loop, pleasantly.  “On Your Mark” closes out Untogether with what one can only call a true guitar ballad.  Yes, the musical structure is similar, as layers of varying sound, even an echo of the vocals, drench the song.  Still, the core of the track is the vocal and carefully strummed guitar. It’s a mellow end to what, until that point, was a fairly enthusiastic record, yet I appreciate it’s reflective quality, asking you to go back and check your bearings.

Clearly Letting Up Despite Great Faults are coming into their own with this new LP.  They sound extremely comfortable with the sound that they’ve created on Untogether, and listeners will be rewarded the more time they spent.  It might take a few listens before you can completely unravel the sounds they’ve layered atop their pop-centric song structure, but you’ll be all the better for it.  Don’t sleep on this one folks; you’ll definitely regret it.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Letting-Up-Despite-Great-Faults-Visions.mp3]

Download:Letting Up Despite Great Faults – Visions [MP3]

AC Newman – Shut Down the Streets

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Rating: ★★★★☆

I know that through his association with The New Pornographers AC Newman often gets stuck in that middling ground between Neko Case and Dan Bejar, but his third solo effort, Shut Down the Streets, is a statement of sorts.  It demonstrates his knack for writing incredible pop songs with lush arrangements, built for longevity in your record collection.

“I’m Not Talking” threw me at first, opening with a few electronic flourishes before the guitar and the rest of the lush orchestration joins in.  It all builds brilliantly, making way for AC Newman‘s voice, accompanied by Neko, to resonate with the listener.  There’s something about listening to that distinctive voice that makes his songs so familiar, but even when the vocals subside, there’s beautiful music in between, which demonstrates the progress he’s made on this effort. In the past, his voice has really stuck out as the sole instrument on his solo recordings, but much care has been placed on the construction and arrangements of these tracks.  “There’s Money in New Wave,” might sound mostly like a guitar strummed ballad, but tiny touches of percussion and string accents bring out the best in this song, making it more than your standard fare.  Oh, and the high pitch of his voice always warms my heart.

But, I can see a lot of people saying that Shut Down the Streets is marked too much by the influence of Newman at the moment of writing this record, himself citing psychedelic-era singer-songwriters.  With that being an obvious influence, I think it actually crafts a broader sound that benefits both the album and the listener.  In the past, there’s always been that difficulty of escaping your main gig, or side gig (whatever he prefers to call it nowadays), with many songs seemingly coming across as polished demos for New Pornos. You won’t get that when you listen to a song like “You Could Get Lost Out Here,” which is an expansive song that unfolds at the typical pace, though brimming with twinkling electronics, eclectic percussive moments and quieted guitar picking.  It’s like AC’s fronting the soundtrack to Peter and the Wolf…with more pop sensibility of course!

Still, if you’re a true AC Newman fan you’ll find heaven in songs like “Wasted English,” a tune that features more vocal accompaniment from Case.  It’s got an accordion that serves as the main backbone here, rather than the guitar, which is present, though distant.  Or you might enjoy “Hostages” for its bounce and spirit, and again, Neko’s appearance. You see, I think he’s always had these tracks inside, but he just need a little help finding a new way to flesh the songs out.  For the most part, Shut Down the Streets is very much what you’d expect from Mr. Newman, filled with splendid melodies/strong ballads, yet he’s differentiated himself slightly.  He’s added a more complete sound by throwing in all the accompaniment at his disposal, filling out an album that’s both warm and rewarding, listen after listen. Surely his best to date.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/a_c_newman_not_talking.mp3]

Download:AC Newman – I’m Not Talking [MP3]

Shut Down the Streets is available now from Matador Records.

Black Marble – A Different Arrangement

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Rating: ★★★★☆

There are tons of bands out there crafting dark electronic pop music nowadays, and I’m cool with that, for the most part.  But, sometimes you have to wade through a lot of mediocre work in order to find something special.  Luckily, the newest effort from Black Marble makes it easy; it’s accessible, dark and infinitely rewarding.  You’re going to want to get your hands on a copy of A Different Arrangement as soon as you can.

For three seconds, Black Marble begins things with this ominous feeling on “Cruel Summer,” but just minutes later it evolves into a evenly-paced bit of dark pop.  Beats unfold rather slowly, encouraging you to fall further into the track as a brighter electronic sound begins to take shape.  If you’re looking for something that’s going to beat you over the head with hooks, then perhaps this isn’t the song for you, with the lyrics keeping an even keel throughout. While other bands simply push forward to quickly, the NYC duo are happy just hanging out and making tracks you’ll want to listen to on your darkest days, and your brightest too.  There’s a pulsing beat to “A Great Design,” and even a bit of a lighter sound to the crafted music, but the slightest hint of an echo drenched over the vocal provides that sensation of personal melancholia that allows you to lose yourself within the confines of A Different Arrangement.

Even with the songs creating their own sort of negative space throughout, a few songs do allow for that slight upbeat movement.  The one-two punch of “A Different Arrangement” and “Limitations” does provide the record with an extra skip in the middle of things.  Musically, the former track is what provides the bit of a different mood, with the vocals holding tightly to the distant feeling they’ve provided since the get-go. I feel like the latter track, though still dwelling in that haunting spectrum, does its bit to move the mood into a peppier sphere, though only slightly.  All that being said, the tempo remains slow–a constant for almost every track on the album.

One of the things I really enjoy about immersing myself in this release by Black Marble is its ability to seem so far away musically, yet provide you with a bit of personal intimacy—at least if you grew up on the dark-tinged pop of the 80s.  Songs like “Pretender” though using a more propulsive drum loop still invoke a feeling of longing or isolation, yet the slight swinging of the beat makes me wax nostalgic about dancing in my room as a kid to my sister’s records.  Naturally, those sorts of feelings, even as an adult, still resonate, which is what makes the entire effort so enduring spin after spin.  A Different Arrangement never grows old, and it almost always surprises me with which song I like the most; sometimes I lose myself in one, only to find myself mildly tapping my tow to another.  As the winter months begin to approach, there’s not a record that I think you’ll appreciate more.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/BlackMarble_AGreatDesign.mp3]

Download:Black Marble -A Great Design [MP3]

A Different Arrangement is available October 9th from Hardly Art!

 

 

Sun Airway – Soft Fall

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Rating: ★★★½☆

When Sun Airway came out with their debut, Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier, two years ago, it was hard to project the longevity of such electronic laden music. With its never-ending loops of distortion and synthesized beats, I was convinced that this would be a one-and-done band; it would be hard for future releases to match the freshness that the first release possessed. Luckily, Soft Fall denounces such an assumption.

My first inclination that this sophomore release would be just as special as its predecessor came when I first heard the single “Wild Palms.” At three minutes and forty-three seconds, it does a pretty good job of giving you a little taste of everything that Sun Airway does well and making you crave even more. It opens with an infectious beat that dominates the soundscape and some electronic orchestral sounds. The distorted, echoed and simultaneously here-and-there vocals of Jon Barthmus quickly make their appearance to hypnotize you with their irresistible serenity amidst the chaotic atmospheric sounds happening behind them.

In the album this single comes a little before the halfway point of Soft Fall, serving as a nice standout track, but by no means is it the only hit this Philadelphia duo has in store for you. Before you reach this number, they hit you with “Close,” that introduces you into the quickened pace that is apparent through the whole album. After the midpoint of the record, you also have other contagiously good numbers like “Symphony in White No.2,” which is sure to have you dancing along. Though the pace is noticeably faster on this album, you also have slower jams like “Laketop Swimmers” and the title track “Soft Fall” that serve as deeper cuts like “Shared Piano” from the prior release.

While it is every bit as infectious as Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier, it is a smidge less listenable and leaning on the lazy side of things when it comes to variation, specifically in the lyrics department. Yes, this band is producing electronic music that focuses on the beats and filling sounds produced, but what I really enjoy about this band is their ability to keep the music down on a human level with their lyrics. In some instances, the words are repeated so much that it detracts from the aesthetic of the song and leaves me bored.

Such instances are few, leaving Soft Fall to be exactly what its title proclaims it to be and in more than one way. Yes, it is a gentle step down from the beauty of this band’s first work, but it is also the sort of record that you can listen to distance yourself from a long day and fall softly upon something a little more magical.

 

Allah-Las – s/t

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

I’ve really been wrapped up in the Allah-Las since I first stumbled upon their early 7″.  The group seems to encompass everything about the musical history of California, harkening back to the state’s glory days, which may or may not leave the band with some detractors.  Their self-titled debut lives up to my expectations, though it does seem to get stuck in one place for a bit too long.

If you run straight through the first several tracks, you’re going to get the exact feeling of this debut by Allah-Las. “Catamaran” opens with a wayward psychedelic jangle, employing gang lyrics to provide an extra bit of emphasis.  It includes a chorus of “I want to hold your hand/I want to be your man,” which seems to epitomize everything my father taught me about falling in love with the 60s.  “Don’t You Forget It” has a bit more of an angular guitar line, but it still seems to have that Eastern guitar sound popularized during the hey-day of Haight Ashbury.  Don’t take this to mean that there’s nothing ultimately pleasurable in traversing the annals of history, as the group makes it their own, especially when the guitar brightly dances off on its own.

For me, the standout track comes after the group takes an instrumental break with “Sacred Sands.” “Sandy” is perhaps one of the best songs the group’s put together.  There’s an effect on the gang-vocal section that creates more intimacy with the listener, which isn’t always present on the rest of the lyrical development throughout Allah-Las; it’s almost as if they’re all whispering in your ear.  Throw this in with “Catalina” and you can clearly see that re-hashing isn’t the sole purpose of this record.  The group’s inspired by their home state, as the latter song indicates.  It’s percussion perfectly fits with the mood of the record, matched evenly with the swirling guitar work and the fluid vocal approach.  It all leads up to album’s last track, “Long Journey,” the song that I think most closely resembles my expectations and fascinations with the group.  At its heart, you can almost feel some acid-induced boogie, but here they slow it down to the most mellow tempo their style allows, giving the song and listener room to breathe.

For what it’s worth, I went out and bought this album.  I’m obsessed with the Allah-Las; I think no one out there has completely captured the sound of the California psych-garage scene quite like these guys.  But, that being said, their self-titled debut does lack a little bit of pace or a little bit of mixing things up.  A few instrumental tracks here and there do give you a chance to calm yourself, and that’s great, but perhaps a fast-paced jangler or a long-drawn out smoke-shop ballad would have made this record something out of the park.  Do yourself a favor though, and sit down with this record.  Absorb it, appreciate it, and you’ll definitely look highly upon this effort.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Allah-Las-Dont-You-Forget-It.mp3]

Download:Allah-Las – Don’t You Forget It [MP3]

Levek – Look a Little Closer

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Rating: ★★½☆☆

When a band deems itself belonging to the “Mickey-Mouse Tribal” genre, it’s difficult to know exactly what they mean. I take it to mean music that’s paying homage to another time—a sort of nostalgic music. Still, what does this entail? For Levek it means music coated in synthesizers and old-fashion elements of sound that bring you back to yesteryear, but which yesteryear is this band evoking? The 70’s, the 60’s, or neither?

To be honest, this album is a little all over the place: on one song you’ll find chill experimental music, on another you’ll find a track that sounds like something you’d hear in an elevator, and another evokes Grizzly Bear in its slow burning intensity. While all of the songs on Look a Little Closer fall along the same level of calm, there is a large disparity in the sound of this band from song to song, and this overall discontinuity disrupts the flow of such a record.

This disparity is present at the beginning of the album, until the sound that Levek decides to stick with appears. The first song, “Black Mold Grow,” has a chill, 1970’s vibe to it, complete with the meek vocals of front man David Levesque. The track is soft and seems to float on a layer of thin air, bouncing on light percussion and sugary harmonies, but then it bursts into a disco-y sound at the end, with layers of warmth that give it a full and rich texture.  Such rich texture dissolves by “Terra Treasures,” the third song on this album, which reminds me of a song you’d hear only in an elevator; the synthesized organ and the flat percussion doesn’t really go anywhere. Fourth up is “With a Slow Burn” whose bubbling serenity calls the sound of Grizzly Bear to mind. However, the second half of the album falls into the exact opposite pattern in which the songs begin to blend together in their similarities.

Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m all about diversity within a band’s sound, as it is what prevents all of the music on an album from meshing into one giant song. There is, however, a difference between continuity and the over-repetition of sounds. Look a Little Closer could use a little more of both of these elements in separate doses.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/08-Girl-In-The-Fog.mp3]

Download:Levek – Girl In The Fog [MP3]

The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth

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Rating: ★★★½☆

I can’t tell you how many albums I actually own by The Mountain Goats, the moniker of songwriter John Darnielle; I can say that its quite a few, including some early collections of demos. All I can say about Transcendental Youth, however, is that it’s a record that sounds more complete than anything he’s done to date, featuring careful musical accompaniment that wasn’t always present before.

Our newest affair with The Mountain Goats begins with a heavy-strummed track, “Ana aka Spent Gladiator 1.”  It’s a track that uses John’s traditional lyrical fare, encouraging his protagonist to push on despite various trials.  What I personally enjoyed here is the song’s heavy-handed approach, as if it’s more of a rock tune than the intimate numbers Darnielle’s composed for years. Interestingly, it fits thematically with “Spent Gladiator 2,” which deals with the same idea of fighting for survival in the world.  But, this tune is more of a softer track, made more beautiful by a sparingly used piano.

While the songs on Transcendental Youth largely deal with man’s struggle to face the challenges of life, the music goes back and forth between the intimate songs and more powerful numbers.  “Lakeside View Apartment Suite” revolves around a solid piano backbone, providing the feeling of solitude one would get if they were to play the role of the lead in this track.  There’s additional fleshing out of the song too, with drums joining in to give an extra bit of bounce to the song.  Still, the high points on the record go even further in depth with their additional accompaniment.

“Cry for Judas” uses a combination of The Mountain Goats traditional guitar strumming, rolling drum beat and a full horn section.  It’s one of the fullest songs I’ve heard from Darnielle and company, illustrating that while he has a penchant for the intimate touch, he’s continually growing his sound after all these years.  It also gives an emphatic boost to the record’s pacing, much like “The Diaz Brothers” does. Here, the pounding piano and handclap addition, along with some incredibly inspired drumming, gives the whole feel of Transcendental Youth more spirit that what I’ve seen before. Even when dealing with tracks about such lonesome figures, the bright-side of life is alluded to in both the album’s title and the spirit of the songs within.

For all intents and purposes, this is very much a typical Mountain Goats record.  It’s typified by Darnielles unique voice, both as a lyricist and vocalist, but the album is strengthened by full sound, featuring horns and more active drumming.  In doing so, it’s taken what is always a very intimate listening experience and given it a facelift, leaving you with a Transcendental Youth that is both personal and affecting.  Already a fan of the group, I’ve enjoyed this record immensely, and I’m curious to see where Darnielle takes himself next.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/03-The-Mountain-Goats-Transcendental-Youth-Cry-for-Judas.mp3]

Download:The Mountain Goats – Cry for Judas [MP3]

Natural Child – Hard in Heaven

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Rating: ★★★★☆

After catching Natural Child several times over the last year, I’ll gladly say I’m a huge fan of their live sets.  I was hoping that they’d capture that raw intensity on their latest effort, Hard in Heaven, and for the most part they do push that onto listeners. But, when they decide to hold back and slow it down, just a touch, it might just make the record more enjoyable through and through.

When I pressed play the first time, I got exactly what I wanted with “Laid, Paid, and Strange.”  It begins with a furious guitar riff, and the group’s two man approach to vocal delivery snaking their way through lyrics about, well, getting laid and making money. They even add a crunchy guitar solo mid-track just to keep it interesting.  “Rock Bottom” bangs in next featuring fuzzed out guitar stomping and guitar soloing as the rhythm section pounds out a groove that definitely fuels the live energy of the trio.

Then they mix it up, slowing things down for a few, though the next tracks are actually growing to be some of my favorites. “What You Gonna Do” is almost a garage rock ballad, but it’s even slower, with the bass work stealing the show throughout.  And those wild vocals, from the earlier tracks, sounds smoother and polished, in just the right spots–these guys can do it all!  The title track from Hard in Heaven isn’t even close to a ballad; it’s a long, drawn out blue-y jam with some quieted vocals just walking longingly through the song.  Listening to this track will definitely give you more appreciation for the group’s abilities as musicians; there’s not to many people doing it up this way anymore.

And then Natural Child is back at it again with “B$G P$MP$N.”  Sure, the lyrics are sort of juvenile, but it’s clear just listening to the song that the band is having a blast just banging songs like this one out. This is the sort of song that has made these guys so endearing live; they’re passionate, no matter what they’re doing on stage, and I can appreciate that.  Still, the rest of the record is full of more surprises that show the band evening out their sound throughout Hard in Heaven.

“Derek’s Blues” nears the end of the record with a Soutuhern rock influenced jam that nears 6 minutes.  It’s almost like a party rock type, but for those that like to drown their sorrows and good times in cases of beer and bottles of whiskey.  Or there’s the group sing-a-long that ends the record, “Let the Good Times Roll.”  It still has a playful lyrical approach, but even then, there’s a classic storytelling aspect to what their doing.  The song’s mostly a guitar strummed affair, but it’s got bits and pieces of that new Natural Child flare, making it another pleasant winner that keeps me playing the record all the way through.

I guess some might be taken aback at first by this new Natural Child.  But, you can see their mark all over the record, even when they break out a blue-influenced jam.  They’re never going to take themselves too serious, and we all benefit from that. Hard in Heaven isn’t as balls to the wall as I wanted it to be, but after getting to spend some quality time with the album, I’m glad it’s not.  This version sounds more complete than what I had in my head, and I base that on the group’s ability to balance their sound from start to finish, leaving you with a refreshing amalgam of garage, punk, blues, and Southern rock that you won’t want to put down.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/05-BG-PMPN.mp3]

Download:Natural Child – B$G P$MP$N [MP3]

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