Pela - Anytown Graffiti (Great Society)
3/5
By: Andrew Misuraca
Simplicity and restraint in music are precious and currently rare gifts normally reserved for the giants of tunesmithery such as, say, Arcade Fire, Interpol and Kings Of Leon. These oft-overlooked key components are what sort the wheat from the chaff, if you will.
Thankfully Pela are a band that can appreciate this. They sound classic from the opening bars of 'Waiting on the Stairs' which takes an idea and sticks with it; rolling brushed snare, hidden fuzz bass, left ear picking, right ear jangling, urgently paced vocals, yelping, up until its mid-point break out, subsequent slow down and its crunchy pay off like perfect pralines and cream.
'Lost to the Lonesome' makes me think of 90s movies with its steady drive and "Hey! / We should crash the party on christmas eve". 'Drop Me Off' has that anthemic drive The Killers had before they decided moustaches and Springsteen re-writes were a good career move.
However, restraint becomes slightly heavy on 'The Trouble with River Cities' and they begin to pace themselves. The yelp lessens and the songs begin to breath a little more which isn't necesarily bad, but somewhat annoying since you begin to feel entropic. The songs still drive in between the slower numbers but more out of habit than necessity 'Your Desert's Not a Desert at All' is a sincere slow burner, a concerned letter to a friend but 'Tenement Teeth' picks up the pace again and has him back in yelp mode for the most part when it gives way to a beautiful croon.
Title track 'Anytown Graffiti' aptly sums up the album. Another vocal highlight and then that restraint they use to full effect with some workmanlike snareplay and sparse piano. These guys do not sound like your typical Brooklyn band.
Anytown Graffiti is an album of autumnal anthems when the sun is glowing and you're set to get out but then comes the wind and you decide to wander the block a couple of times and settle in a comfortable spot with friends instead. It starts with a solid sense of purpose and urgency but paces out. It's like a little dog on a retractable leash flying off and levelling out when the slack is taken up. A confident debut LP which is unfortunately held back by the very thing that puts them above those impatient and over-complicated bands.
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