Remo Drive – Portrait of An Ugly Man

Bloomington, Minnesota alt-rock band Remo Drive was a fresh and approachable addition to the Epitaph Records family.  Occupying a sort of mishmash of genres including emo, indie rock, power pop, and pop punk, the band’s energy and reach meant Natural, Everyday Degradation had a little something for everyone.  However, it did beg the question, which strand would the band tug on and thread the needle for weaving their eventual follow-up with?  Well, it’s a question that the band has answered earlier than anticipated, providing their response a quick year later with their third full length, Portrait of An Ugly Man.

At their core, the band has retained many of their familiar elements, but the evolution and advancement feels more like the growth and maturity of a decade rather than that of a year.  The allusions to bands like Modest Mouse, The Killers, and The Sidekicks continue to stand, but they tend to feel a little more worldly, like a dash of Okkervil River and Dr. Dog have been thrown in for good measure.  The combination makes for what might be termed Remo Drive’s most consistently “sophisticated” sound to date.

Portrait of An Ugly Man adheres to a basic mid-tempo pacing, using the breathing room to explore some complex layers and sounds. “A Guide To Live By” opens with layers of rhythmic bass, swanky riffs, and ghostly backing vocals.  Erik Paulson’s pulsing, lingering vocals feel well suited to the layers of lingering instrumentation and production that emerge later in the song’s groove-laden bridge. Similarly, “Star Worship” feeds on the full bodied ebb and flow of reverb enhanced guitar and a careful, smoothly fluctuating Menzingers-esque vocal quiver, making for a feeling like the echo of a dance hall after closing.  The piano on “True Romance” and organ on “Ode to Joy 2” add a layer of “class” to the whole affair, suiting lyrical descriptors like “darling” as they pseudo-serenade their way through the tracks.  But that isn’t to say they’ve left their attitude behind, with tracks like “A Flower and a Weed” Remo Drive maintains a level of momentum and fire in their core.

Portrait of An Ugly Man isn’t so much of a departure as it is an extension of the maturity first explored in Natural, Everyday Degradation.  It marks a significant shift, and one that made me a little surprised that Remo Drive hadn’t been converted from Epitaph to ANTI-, the more experimental, artistic centred imprint of the label.  Portrait of An Ugly Man is more suited for a formal function than a rock and roll festival, so some may end up wishing for a little more pep in each step.  It’s tough to say if this will turn off or entice long time fans, but there’s no denying that Remo Drive has moved their sound forward in a fresh yet sophisticated way.