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Drink Up the Black and White Years
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Posted on MOG by Augusts1 Is there something in the water in Austin, Texas? It’s one of those epicenters of uber-coolness that just exudes talented artists. The latest Austin quartet worth your attention is the Black & White Years, a band that at times weds an upbeat synth-pop sound to heavy lyrics about serious life issues. Although they formed in ’06, the Black & White Years didn’t release their self-titled debut album until February of this year. Lead singer & keyboardist Scott Butler heads up the four piece that also includes drummer Billy Potts, bassist & brass player John Aldridge & guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Landon Thompson. (Actually, during the recording of the album, Potts wasn’t yet a member, so Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers played drums.) Scott writes the lyrics and songs while all four create the group’s ’70s & ’80s inspired sounds. At first listen the music seems pretty straightforward synthesizer-based pop rock. But on subsequent listens, one discovers layers of sound that aren't immediately apparent. This could be due in part to the influence of producer Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads fame. The catchy “Power of Change” is an example of the intricate soundscapes the group creates. The song begins with a hyperactive bass drum beat as well as a distantly echoing and indistinct vocal which you don’t realize is there until subsequent listens. The vibrant, quickly-bouncing reggae-tinged guitar kicks in while the punchy bassline just flat out jumps about with glee. A short clipped drumbeat & insistent hi-hat join in joyfully. As all the aforementioned is going on, a fuzzy, reverb-soaked synthesizer makes you feel like you just entered the stratosphere on a rocketship that is doing laps around the universe — all this before Mr. Butler starts his aching, gruff and warbly vocal. It’s a deceptively complex song that gradually builds with kinetic energy to an explosive climax. You won’t be able to keep your body from involuntarily moving, guaranteed. Yet the lyrics have a depth that belies the energy, since the song talks about the need to change from our usual destructive human behaviors.
“Hysterical Sickness”(hit the red button at the top) is another highlight, with its pulsing punk surf guitar, pounding tribal drums and Butler’s hysterical vocal yelps and contortions, which remind me of Cars-era Ric Ocasek. The keyboards provide a haunting background atmosphere and the bass guitar pogos its way through with staccato bursts. The high-energy music contrasts with the lyric which speaks of the the process of dealing with a life threatening illness. It throws you when you realize this song is about a far-from-happy topic, just adding to the layers: “Morning. It all hurts again. something cancerous is growing. I tell myself it's just my imagination. Illness is my interstate. I feel it driving me to ruin. I tell myself it's not an indication. Hysterical sickness. My creative affliction.”
Then there is “Lighten Up the Letters,” reminiscent of early Heads circa their Talking Heads:'77 album with its bright, jangly guitars and eerily cheery vocal harmonies. The keyboards sound like wind moving through a cave. Vocally, Butler channels his inner ‘80s Gary Numan yet with his own unique spin. Again, the brightness of the music is tarnished only by the lyric about a young man commiting suicide and the tragedy of human loss. “Were a sick, sick boy with a cough of coal and tar. Bloodshot eyes see stars that aren't thar [sic]. Pockmarked face and features angular, took a gun from the drawer and said a prayer. Someone screamed when the sickly sight was seen.” It’s an intense song made more so by this juxtaposition Most of the songs on this album are musically upbeat & danceable. Only two songs, “My Broken Hand” and “A Dense History,” defy the rest with slower, mid tempo paces. But even these pick up about halfway through so the album doesn’t lull. If there is something in the Austin water, these boys have drunk it. They are definitely a band to watch as they grow as artists and have already acquired a devoted following. Their debut album is a complexly layered ode to ‘70s and ‘80s synth-dance-rock that beckons you to join them. Drink it up.
http://www.theblackandwhiteyears.com/
http://www.myspace.com/theblackandwhiteyears