Pressure Set Reveal Debut Single & Video “Blood Gimmick”
Pressure Set have unveiled their debut single, Blood Gimmick, that is the first taste of their forthcoming self-titled album that will…
Bars of Gold – Of Gold
Bars of Gold
Of Gold - Fiction Reform Records
Ex-members of Bear Vs Shark have come together to produce noise/punk five-piece Bars of Gold. With their debut LP “Of Gold,” they pair unique combinations of string instruments and spacey production with vocals that recall Fugazi; and the result is excellent.
Make no mistake; this record is weird. You’re pulled in immediately by a crunchy keyboard hook on the first track, “Boss Level,” that sounds like it was stolen from an old eight-bit video game. And I while I understand the chorus “you ride a horse, you better carry a gun,” I’m not sure how it fits into the rest of the song. But I love the way it sounds.
The album then takes a distinct turn for the punk. The tempo picks up, the power chords sweep in, and front man Marc Paffi screams in a plaintive voice that will remind you of emo pioneers Braid. But it’s not long before you’re thrown for a loop again.
There’s a pretty strong proliferation of banjo on this album, and surprisingly, this choice only makes Bars of Gold’s instrumentals stronger. Would-be monotony is shattered by creepy Appalachian interludes reminiscent of “Dancehall” or Modest Mouse’s “Good News for People Who Love Bad News.” This is most evident on “The Hustle,” which sounds like Isaac Brock himself stole the mic away for a song. But it’s not long before Ian McKaye wrestles control back from Mr. Brock for the cacaphonous “Doctors & Lawyers.” Chaos ensues on this guitar heavy rocker.
The album finally relaxes with the closing track “Cannibals,” but not for long. This ambient almost-ballad surprises you in the end with a rollicking anthemic feel that will make you think you’ve travelled through time and space to Detroit in the early 1970’s.
I’m tempted to say this band has lots of potential, but that would be doing their debut a disservice. This album nails down the sound that Bear Vs Shark strove for for years, easily outstripping all the Fugazi-influenced hipsters crowding the basements in towns across America. This ain’t Bars of Fool’s Gold. These guys are the real deal.
