Play> – Self-Titled

According to the band bio, Portland, ORs rockers Play> (mind the “>”) aren’t out to change the world, but rather to “rock as hard as possible.”  Now, when I hear the term “rock hard,” I think of the classics, like ACDC or Led Zeppelin among others, so I had to adjust my mental schema after it became clear that maybe “hard soft rock” was a more accurate descriptor.

If you’ve ever watched the hit web series, “Yaut Rock,” then you’ll know what I mean.  The series is based around poking fun at the rise of “smooth music,” aka “soft rock,” and the soundtrack is what you’d call cheesy by today’s standards (think something like Journey).  While Play> certainly sounds more than current, the general tone of their self titled effort has some of that calming, tranquil quality that makes you just want to close your eyes and sway like Rick Astley (there’s a reason people sit through being “Rick Rolled”).

The album opens with “Today,” a track that sets the tone for the album’s flamboyant riffs and goofy vocal glint.  Lead vocalist Tris Lass brings to mind a less insane MC Bat Commander (The Aquabats), or something from Franz Nicolay’s solo projects – or maybe even a cartoon character of sorts (I can’t help but think of that old Offspring “Disclaimer” from Ixnay On The Hombre).  The formula works, but I’ll admit to needing to be in a certain mood to really enjoy it.  Musically, songs like “Quiet Desperation” come at the listener casually with a steady tempo and a few plashes of Santana-like guitar moments.  Songs aren’t based around many hooks, but they’re certainly consistent, even if that consistency leads to a bit of repetition.  Even so, when songs like “Dutchmen” creep into your conscious mid-way through the album, they ease their way into your head.

The only real problem with Play> comes when the band relaxes (ie. the acoustic-based tracks like “Your Lie” dominating the later half of the release), as they end up providing a soundtrack that one might expect to hear buzzing quietly overhead in a shopping mall.  The result is a reasonable debut that’s hard to form any sort of meaningful opinion on.  It’s an album that’s easy enough to sit through, but also one that doesn’t provide much in terms of a reason for doing so.