THE VAN PELT – REMAIN OBSCURE

Was it the 90s? I have to think, but it seems like a lifetime ago, attempting to recall the variety of groups coming from an era bursting with creativity on so many different levels. Independence led to hunger, which always seemed to lead to an explosion of ideas both musically and lyrically for an artist. Some of these ideas and concepts were sometimes met with lukewarm welcomes, although with critical acclaim and occasionally, a group would flourish. But for the many, that was never the case.

To my surprise and ignorance, The Van Pelt surfaced out of retirement and was officially back in 2017 after a couple of pop-ups throughout the years, and even released albums that never made it my way. There was 2014’s Imaginary Third, 2017’s Tramonto (Live In Ferrara), which was recorded in 2014, and 2023’s Artisans & Merchants. The band, Chris Leo, Brian Maryansky, Neil O’Brien, and Sean Green, has just released Remain Obscure (Ernest Jennings Record Co.), 30 years removed from the group’s debut Stealing From Our Favorite Thieves. The band’s initial appeal all those years ago was Leo’s sung/spoken vocal delivery, his lyrical poetry & ability to tell a story listeners would find themselves engrossed in, and the band’s ability to encapsulate it all with a musical finesse, creating a musical landscape filled with vibrant colors. Sonically, nothing has been lost, and the recording transcends how things were recorded in the group’s early and leaner years. Every nuance pierces through.

The songs themselves? Well, the opening “Kris Is Riding Horses In Ojai,” with its well-oiled production values, loses nothing in creativity and welcomes fans old and new into a world The Van Pelt has created, and sustained, for decades. The music, demanding. It commands your attention. Semblances of a harshness within its notes and driving rhythm, as Leo wraps his around the backdrop of instruments, strewing his words straight across. It’s forceful, and everything fits tightly together. There’s no pausing, no second-guessing; it’s straight to the point. Yes, The Van Pelt is back, and unexpected. The surprise comes in the form of “City Of Dead Ends,” and here is where the group shows off its ability to twist and bend a melody to its collective will. The rhythm here is accentuated by the guitar notes and its washes that come over it. MJ Hancock provides additional instrumentation with sax synth, and it becomes predominant midway through the song and as it closes out. Yes, it’s amazing, and it’s nice to see the group has only benefited from the passing years.

It’s that type of songwriting that draws one in, as The Van Pelt is about extremes, and is also able to push you away, yet hold onto you decisively. You don’t expect to be drawn in by “A Voralberg Of The Mind” initially, but once you’re there, the melody has a spell on you. The group plays around a melody that seems controlled by an alluring bassline, with instruments built all around it. Leo’s voice seems barely above a whisper, and while you may not be able to make out what he’s saying, his delivery capitalizes on the melody. Sarah Schimeneck provides vocals here, dueting somewhat with Leo. Alicia Testa provides additional piano work that helps to soften the music as well. “Rally Song For Maryann” is a bit of a harsher listen, while also moving at a mid-tempo pace. Leo’s voice initially sounds off-key, but as the song progresses with the added pedal steel by Liam Bornovski and Testa’s piano, it all begins to make sense as the melody and rich sounds become much fuller with the backing vocals and additional cooing.

With Remain Obscure, there’s so much more to the album that deserves attention; beauty that I never thought The Van Pelt could – or would – explore. But through this album, we should all dive in further because the magic the band members have captured here deserves our utmost attention. It’s like the saying goes, what’s old is new, but here The Van Pelt has turned into a group of seasoned musicians you will never find again.

SON LUX – OUT INTO

Moments slip by, and when you see something you’re familiar with, you just know that no matter how it looks or sounds, there’s something extraordinary. It’s insanity turned flesh & bone, although it may not be a living, breathing organism. There’s still life. Not still life, but life that’s still flowing with intensity, allowing one to witness the beauty of the colors surrounding it…

This is where the experimental post-rock outfit Son Lux comes in. It’s been five years since we’ve heard the name of the band out in the mainstream, although it’s kept busy with soundtrack work: 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once, and then later on Marvel’s Thunderbolts* movie. But I digress. Tomorrows I-III were released back in 2020/2021 and were fascinating pieces of work, but now, everything seems to pale in comparison. Ok, I’m getting ahead of myself, and I guess I should start at the beginning. Son Lux – Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, and Ian Change – has just released Out Into (City Slang), and here, the band has dived in headfirst with everything it’s hinted at in the past. While we’ve always known the band to be astute fans of Hip-Hop, I don’t think anyone would be prepared for “Want You To Love,” which is nestled neatly in between worlds of experimentalism, Hip-Hop, post (modern) rock, as Chang and Bhatia’s seemingly move in reverse, but we understand it’s locked in and stepping forward, as Lott colors outside the lines with his keys and voice, never fully understanding if those keys are creating synth-like backing vocals or if they’re human. In any case, the storminess brews from utter chaos to lilting beauty, all at the same moment.

If there was any concern for the direction Son Lux was going here, it should be put to rest, as the group churns out the melodies of its songs to fit specific needs. With “Out Into Us,” a sense of R&B permeates throughout it, coated in an angsty Neo-soul vibe as the bassline makes room for percussion and keys to draw in odd and quietly clanging notes to linger alongside the catchy melody. It’s inviting and interesting to find all the intricacies hiding within the shadows. But it’s the way “Endless” opens, with overlaid vocals that have me thinking Lott is channeling his inner P. Rodgers Nelson, as the textures are unmistakably audible and the band’s signature bouncy rhythm, layered with what seems an obscene number of instruments, crackles and pops over a melody that won’t allow anyone to catch their breath. Even at the break, it’s difficult to let go! As the song closes, instruments seem to collide against one another until its eventual end. Son Lux has never considered itself a politicized outfit, and I don’t think anyone has ever viewed the group that way either, but Lott has admitted to throwing a few nods during this current political climate. Lyrically, the sparse thumping of “You Could Be The One” alludes to viewing a powerful individual and giving him everything you have: mind, body, and soul. The light trickle of Bhatia’s melodic guitar offsets Lott’s voice, while Chang’s percussion is the base foundation. Musically, the closing “No God Like A King” is a ravager of worlds, and the band lets you know what it’s about through the song title alone. Musically, clashing instruments are in disarray, crazed, which suits the subject matter. The mechanical vocal delivery makes it make sense, as everyone is a cog in the machine for his lordship. As wildly delivered as this is, it’s fucking magical, and that double bass is on point, getting more from it than we would from standard bass work.

The group never fails to astonish, and what we’ve witnessed with the release of Out Into is Son Lux willing to take more chances at every turn. There’s no one category the trio can be placed in; Son Lux will never be easily pigeonholed, but we can be assured that Son Lux is only beginning to explore what it’s capable of…after multiple albums. Yes, the group is just that good.

SLOW PULP – MELODIE

Disillusioned, disenchanted; yeah, that’s where many have found themselves the past couple of years with no hope in sight. Well, we can wallow or just move on, changing circumstances, scenery, or pretending nothing is wrong. Unfortunately, the latter isn’t usually a viable option, and Freddy Krueger did once say, “I don’t believe in fairy tales,” which makes me think some might have some seriously unrealistic goals.

But this leads us all to Melodie (ANTI-), the third full-length release by Madison, Wisconsin’s Slow Pulp. The 4-person group of bassist Alex Leeds, vocalist/guitarist Emily Massey, drummer Teddy Mathews, and guitarist Henry Stoehr seems to be hitting their collective stride on the new release. The group moves with ease, creating clever folk songs, sometimes bare-boned, sprinkled with light percussion, as well as creating intense pop/rock songs. But some of those songs play like they follow the blueprint of a reluctant Oscar-nominated 90s artist who was masterful in creating compositions that satisfied both the indie and mainstream crowds. Those songs you felt, and Slow Pulp is just as emotive. “Spill” captures it all within the confines of just one song. The mid-tempo delivery never pushes the song harder than it could possibly go; instead, guitars offer an infectious melody with whining effects that don’t smother the song but lift it further into the atmosphere. Massey’s voice rides that melody, offsetting it with her coo-like delivery that’s inviting. It’s an interesting display of songwriting simply because the group gets a wide array of tones throughout it.

It’s the soft and gentle explosion of “Yellow And Green,” scattered with acoustic instrumentation where the band itself doesn’t have to push itself very hard to allow listeners a chance to find a calming peace around it. The group also includes what sounds like an effected guitar with delay or vibrato that allows it to sound slightly like a cello? Or is it a cello? It’s done well in any regard. If it is guitar, it’s masked well. Slow Pulp can rock out too, without hesitancy. “Better Man” opens with a larger-than-life rhythm, and it’s powerful, leading right into a much more subdued, but massive, melody Massey can sink her teeth into. The cycle repeats itself through the group’s verse-chorus-verse formula, but THIS is the rock song you could imagine blastin’ through every household at any time of the day; it’s just that infectious. Now while “Entertainer” doesn’t hit with a full-frontal assault, it’s just as fiery and irresistible. Led by Leeds’ repetitive and restrained bassline, it allows his bandmates to build around just the few notes he hits. Slow Pulp plays with dynamics a bit, never making it obvious, caught between crescendos & the intensity. “Like Me” hits a different stride altogether; distorted guitars make way for hushed vocals as solemn bass notes thicken the plot. Sonically, the track is amazing, sans drums, which aren’t required here, but guitars seem to have a chemical reaction to the atmosphere, crashing all around.

Slow Pulp never seems to lose itself or its identity as songs shift from one direction to another throughout Melodie. What the band does accomplish, though is creating an ambiance, an energy, all its own. It’s felt as soon as the needle hits that first track, all the way to its closer. That’s astonishing.