Spanish Prisoners - "Songs To Forget" Reviewed

As promised, a review:

It's hard not to get excited about the Spanish Prisoners. They remind us of early Modest Mouse-with halty vocals, and a song called "Where God Does His Laundry" that brings to mind "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine" (well, probably because we aren't quite smart enough to draw any other parallels besides the obvious). And we love Modest Mouse. At times they sound like Wilco (Check out "Dear Just Curious"). And we love Wilco. They have also been compared to Okkervil River. And we love Okkervil River. But most times they sound like...um, the Spanish Prisoners-country fused, indie rock that is irregular yet crystalline.

They are also from Brooklyn and that is always exciting. Because let's face it, you must be from BK if you is to make it these days.

But the capital reason to be excited about the band is the music.

The song "Some Among Them Are Killers"-by itself-has come to rescue us from the monotony that the rock world is slowly becoming. The guitar riff buzzes sweetly in your ear and the vocals tap along with it. But there is fury tied with these lyrics. This rage is underlying throughout the entire album. Melancholy and anger walk hand in hand on these Songs To Forget.

The album fills in around this track. But not in the sense that the rest is filler. It is simply that this is the centerpiece.

Everything else is quite focussed. From the sexy twirl of "Mantequilla", that eventually mellows into a dark love song, to the classic rocking "Periwinkle Blues" and the saddened climactic ending of "Ballad Of An Unfolding" the Brooklyn rockers are onto something here. Something damn good.

3 of 5 stars

Be Your Own Pet - "Get Awkward" Reviewed

Be Your Own Pet's new album Get Awkward starts off like you would expect; with growling guitars and searing vocals by singer Jemina Pearl. If there is such a thing as modern commercial punk rock that doesn't sound like something your little sister would listen to, this is it. With violent subject matter that feels surprisingly playful rather than dangerous, the band has grown up. A little bit.

It's impossible not to mention that they are still mostly in their early 20's (and by early 20's I mean 20). And it's impossible not to mention that there is so much room for growth here because of their age. But the snotty-ness in the bands sound makes you want to stop time and not allow for that growth.

However, time does not stop for, you, me or BYOP. So we will have to deal with the semi ballad "You're a Waste" and accept that it's not so bad.

But if you can't listen to that, you can always crank up "Food Fight", "Heart Throb" or "Super Soaked", to recall why it's easy to love these guys. And slyly there is some relatability here too.

"I just want to run around/I just want to party down"

Who hasn't been there?

Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward: 3 of 5 stars