It’s Friday, and in attempt to clear the clutter I’ll be posting on records that have caught my ear but I haven’t had time to write about yet.
Dryer – Out Like a Light
For some reason, I’m not sent a lot of music that really falls into that “Grey’s Anatomy” style of music. You know, rich female vocals, subtle electronic backdrops and lush production full of strings and piano. Basically, the sounds for which acts like Imogen Heap, Sia and Kate Havnevik have become known.
Montreal based (although they are heading to TO soon) Dryer fits nicely into that pocket. Peggy’s vocals are front and centre, thanks to intricate programming and instrumentation from Dave and if I had to pick a word for the resulting sounds…. it would be professional. While that might seem like a slight, it’s really not. Countless acts try to shine in this style and few end up succeeding. Too many bands write one song and that’s it. Out Like a Light is pretty consistent from top to bottom, and the duo changes moods nicely from breathy, brooding and moody to upbeat and emotional.
The band loses a bit of momentum when they try to crank the rock up too much (“Takeover” for example), but when they stay in the pocket (“Seen Enough’) it’s easy to see why they are starting to get noticed by bigger audiences and why their lead single was featured on network TV (Bones). When you sit down with OlaL you realize once people start hearing one song, it’s a safe bet that a lot of other tracks on this record will start getting airplay too.
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MP3:: Dryer – Boat
WEB:: http://dryermusic.com
Gamma Gamma Rays – Beeps
Halifax has been a hot bed for creative noise pop acts lately. The latest band is the scrappy youngsters that go by the name of Gamma Gamma Rays. The power packed quintet is – for lack of a better description – sounds like The New Pornographers and the late 90′s Jade Tree lineup were mutated into some crazy cyborg in a horrible, comic book worthy accident. Beeps balances shronking guitars and quirky transitions with genuine keyboard laden pop hooks and sunshine filled harmonies to challenge and ultimately reward the listener.
It’s remarkable how a band of musicians barely twenty years of age can handle the creativity and experimentation the band put in every song, but the foundation of each song is so solid that meandering and guitar noodling never derails the track. Case in point? The fantastic piano line and folky female vocals that frame “Blame” are the perfect counterpoint to the barely audible spoken outro. End of the day, Gamma Gamma Rays have released a record full of moments that any music fan will love. Here’s the first single – “Roam” – for you to enjoy.
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MP3:: Gamma Gamma Rays – Roam
WEB:: http://www.myspace.com/gammagammarays