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In 2012 I was stuck with Television Youth on constant repeat; every where I went I was humming along to the melodies and playing air drums. Â Suffice it to say, the arrival of Mistakes. the band’s latest effort for Dirtnap Records, Â comes with a lot of anticipation on my end. Â Sonic Avenues deliver, as I expected, offering up 11 songs of power-pop that are executed perfectly.
“Waiting for Change” begins with a screech of feedback, followed by some understated strumming, but then it jumps into delivery of ringing guitars and hook-laden melodies. Â If you were looking for a great answer to the sorely missed Exploding Hearts, then songs like this are precisely why I consider Sonic Avenues to be one of the best acts to have picked up that torch. But, while they do nod their, they’re also making things a bit noisier, exemplified in the track “Automatic.” Â It’s a faster paced banger, and the vocals, while still maximizing pop sensibility, are sung in a more hap-hazard fashion. Â The next few tracks live in the same realm, with a darker guitar found on “New Vogues,” but I also wanted to see where the band mixed things up a bit.
On Mistakes, “Better Days to Come” brings some respite from the energy-fueled pop that’s been coming through your speakers. Â Personally, I’ve found that the guitars, building through two different sounds creates a nice effect, allowing for the group to bring you a nice little power-ballad, though not in the cheesy since. Â It allows your toes to take a rest before you tap them off. Â You’ll find a similar book-end to the record when you arrive at “Lost & Found.” Â It’s not quite the same ballad, but the relaxed approach is very much a part of these two tracks.
For my money, I’d find yourself stuck in tracks 6-8. Â My two favorite songs, “In Your Head” and “Too Late” are located here. Â The first is really just an excellent jam; I love how the song breaks down just after the two-minute mark, then builds itself back into infectious churning guitar noise. Â “Too Late” on the other hand pushes you into rock mode right from the get-go. Â The drums are pounding furiously, and you’ll find yourself swept up in the song instantly. Â Check out the rad guitar moves knifing through at the 1 minute mark.
If you want a record that makes you feel good about loving rock n’ roll, then you really need to head out and pick up a copy of Mistakes this week. Â Sure, there’s a lot of bands out there doing similar things musically, but for me, the Sonic Avenues are one of the best. Â From the way the songs are mixed to the unending energy contained in each track, you just can’t get much better than this.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/06-In-Your-Head.mp3]
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