Purling Hiss – Weirdon
Rating: 
It seems like the genre of weirdo rock and roll is one that’s up-and-coming and is perhaps the trend of the present and the near future. Whether it be twisted in different angles with subgenres like psychedelic, garage rock, or lighter jangly pop, it is all the rage lately to be slightly off kilter and less straight edged. Purling Hiss have been doing this for years, but just how weird is Weirdon?
Turns out its not so freaky and more-so just plain good, albeit those things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. “Forcefield of Solitude” kicks the album off with the squall of some feedback before Purling Hiss lays down some psychedelically gritty guitars and far-away percussion to combine for this almost anthem-esque opening to the song as well as the record. Soon the vocals join the mix and offer some more grit, as Mike Polizze provides his hollow and yet somehow simultaneously engaging pipes. Though immediately striking, the track becomes absolutely swoon-worthy whenever it gets to the chorus, and you just want to sing along with the group…but wait, what’s that you hear? Handclaps? What’s better than handclaps? Nothing.
The first few tracks are a little deceptive, as Weirdon is not all straightedge garage rock either; oddly enough the more eclectic numbers in my opinion are the mellower tunes like “Reptili-A-Genda” and “Running Through My Dreams.” On both of these numbers, the emptier nature of the tracks allow for the guitar parts to stand out as extra twangy and almost sour sounding. “Running Through My Dreams,” makes this work very well for itself, and Polizze steps it down on his vocals, almost whispering you the words in the delicacy of the song. It’s a beautiful number that provides a large contrast between the more jarring and heavier numbers that surround it—solid track placement.
Though airing on the side of a little more straightforward garage rock than weird for the most part, Weirdon is clearly an album with a range; there’s jangle, fuzzy vocals, great cutting guitar licks and a balance and delicate imbalance of all those things. There’s a lot to love here, so get to listening.
