5 things to know about II by storc

December 10, 2019 admin concerts, music, music reviews, vancouver music

Credit to Author: Stuart Derdeyn| Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 19:00:43 +0000

Vancouver punk/noise quartet storc delivered its self-titled debut in 2017. The group’s frenzied Northwest sludge sound was immediately embraced by multiple scenes in the city.

The band had pedigree. Guitarist Allen Forrister and bassist Matthew Lyons had both been in popular bands Nasty On and Christa Min. Drummer Ben Frith had bashed his way around with everyone from Thor to the Vicious Cycles. Vocalist Luke Meat was such a scene regular it was to everyone’s surprise he hadn’t been in more bands than all the other members combined.

Engineered by Josh Stevenson (White Lung, Nu Sensae), storc was a dozen dizzying blasts of Amphetamine Reptile-era post-hardcore.

Returning with its second album, appropriately titled II, storc offers up 13 more tracks of molten heaviness served up with plenty of sarcastic snarl. Recorded by Jesse Gander and Mariessa McLeod at Rain City Recorders, it’s not music for long attention spans — most songs clock in at under two minutes. It’s also about as subtle as a flying mallet to the headphones.

Here are five things know about II:

1. Engines Rust. The band was always slamming, but Meat’s vocals are a revelation on the new record, particularly on this song. Coming across like the ringleader for a Barnum and Bailey circus, he implores the listener to “have some water/drink some wine/please eat some bread/and always misheard what was said.” He’s like the maître d’ of some punk palace, as likely to put boots to you as promise fun. It’s delightfully insidious.

2. The guitar. Whether aiming for finite aggression (Me and My Bowflex) or atmospheric pop (Lord), Forrister lays down licks that all sound classic. His style owes plenty to the slashing, open chord style of late Eighties hardcore and the alternative rock scene that emerged from it. It’s clean, direct and loud, but with a real knack for melody.

3. Coalesce Time. The bass line opening this delightfully mechanical basher carries through into one of the album’s most art-rock oriented tracks. As Meat starts to chant “context” faster and faster, the tension builds until the song just ceases. It’s jarring and effective use of space in the recording. And is that some theremin by the one and only Stephen Hamm buried in the mix?

4. The rhythm section. You know how some albums sound like the drummer is beating the kit with enough force to break their sticks? This is that kind of album. When It Reigns It Pours is positively relentless. Naturally, this makes it one of the best songs on the whole record.

5. Remains of Comets. In what appears to be a template for its records, II ends with the nearly seven minute-long Remains of Comets. The group’s debut did the same thing, ending with the six minute beautifully titled jam (Now You Want Me to Play the Room You Just) Emptied? Remains of Comets is somewhat more classic acid rock, complete with some solos that wouldn’t sound out of place on a classic Black Sabbath record. Seems storc can get psychedelic, and more of that would be really cool on future albums. Plus, Meat does a really cool Ian Curtis-like vocal.

Also out this week:

Adam Rudolph

Ragmala — A Garden of Ragas | Meta Records

Master percussionist, bandleader and composer Adam Rudolph joins his Go: Organic Orchestra with Brooklyn’s Indian innovators Brooklyn Raga Massive to combine into a 40-piece mixed culture, gender, generation and tradition crew to tackle a song cycle as ambitious as it is free-flowing. With heavyweights such as Moroccan Gnawa master Hassan Hakmoun, cornetist Graham Haynes and the free jazz grooving genius of drummer Hamid Drake, it’s not surprising that there is great rhythmic complexity in this music. If these flowing, hard-pulsing and free compositions are indicative of what a “future orchestra” can accomplish, bring it. The sophisticated funk of Africa 21 is ridiculously tight.

Badge Époque Ensemble

Nature, Man & Woman | Telephone Explosion

From Toronto by way of late Sixties Canterbury, this quintet led by Max “Twig” Turnbull (a.k.a. Slim Twig) with some of his U.S. Girls bandmates and others drops three tracks of progressive folk psychedelia featuring everything from flute solos to clarinets. Anyone with an affinity for the likes of Nectar or Camel needs to hear this. At almost 15 minutes, the Badge Theme reworks Cream’s classic Badge into a lengthy jam that’s funky, jazzy and way cooler than the original.

Jack Peñate

After You | XL Recordings

The first new album from this south London singer-songwriter wastes no time to get the hand clap choruses going in the opening song to this 10-track release. What would one expect of a song titled Prayer? It’s like Peñate decided to enter a gospel mindset and produce a winning pop tune. His songs range from beat loop-driven radio jams such as Round and Round to a bumpy Brit pop banger titled Murder. Each bears impeccable production, but that makes sense given the time it took to craft the album. Sophisticated, slick pop like this is not common.

Wayne Hancock

Man of the Road: The Early Bloodshot Years | Bloodshot Records

Critics note how this singer has more Hank Williams in him than the late singer’s descendants, and they are onto something. Hancock’s phrasing and delivery are pure Hank on songs such as Driving My Young Life Away or Shootin’ Star From Texas. But he’s got a lot more going for him than that similarity, as the variety and potency of swinging track such as Tulsa (the horns are so fun), and sweet electric licks in Town Blues make clear. This is a country album that someone who hates the genre should have no problem cosying up to. Classic, hardcore twang that exists out of time.