The Stormalongs – Fell Like
Bricks
Seen these guys a couple times with Luz Atomica, one of my favourite local bands. They weren't too bad in the live setting, although I hadn't heard from em in some time before I got their new record in my inbox.
The Stormalongs mix crunchy grunge-rock guitars with geek rock vocals that fall somewhere in between Weezer and 5440. Most songs are in the 3-4 minute range, so when the eight-minute, mostly instro psych of seventh track In Absentia came up in the middle of the album, it kinda threw me for a loop. Not a bad detour, mind you. Eighth track Kierkegaard comes to a close with a ripping solo overtop a pounding drum beat, one of the coolest moments on the record.
There are sprinklings of psychedlica throughout; a slowed-down passage here, a trippy riff there. The album title comes from another lengthy number, the seven-minute Xmas, which starts off slow, building up atmosphere into a hard-hitting chorus then ending with a flourish that recalls a band like Anagram or Holoscene. The album closer is an 11-plus minute jam called Elucidate that mixes jangly guitars with swirling soundscapes; it's sorta like their answer to Luz's “Storms Over Neptune.”
Although it runs a bit long at 66 minutes, Fell Like Bricks is a solid showcase for a band that tries to bridge psych, indie rock, and grunge. A pleasant listen, one that won't blow your speakers. Always good to hear a local band doing their own thing...
What did you think of the album? Discuss it on the THTGIR forum
Seen these guys a couple times with Luz Atomica, one of my favourite local bands. They weren't too bad in the live setting, although I hadn't heard from em in some time before I got their new record in my inbox.
The Stormalongs mix crunchy grunge-rock guitars with geek rock vocals that fall somewhere in between Weezer and 5440. Most songs are in the 3-4 minute range, so when the eight-minute, mostly instro psych of seventh track In Absentia came up in the middle of the album, it kinda threw me for a loop. Not a bad detour, mind you. Eighth track Kierkegaard comes to a close with a ripping solo overtop a pounding drum beat, one of the coolest moments on the record.
There are sprinklings of psychedlica throughout; a slowed-down passage here, a trippy riff there. The album title comes from another lengthy number, the seven-minute Xmas, which starts off slow, building up atmosphere into a hard-hitting chorus then ending with a flourish that recalls a band like Anagram or Holoscene. The album closer is an 11-plus minute jam called Elucidate that mixes jangly guitars with swirling soundscapes; it's sorta like their answer to Luz's “Storms Over Neptune.”
Although it runs a bit long at 66 minutes, Fell Like Bricks is a solid showcase for a band that tries to bridge psych, indie rock, and grunge. A pleasant listen, one that won't blow your speakers. Always good to hear a local band doing their own thing...
What did you think of the album? Discuss it on the THTGIR forum