The New Loud: Can't Stop Not Knowing EP
The New Loud: Can't Stop Not Knowing EP
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Friday, 12, Mar 2010 11:20
Independant Release, out March 15th.
What's it all about?
Preceding the full length due later this year, Can't Stop Knowing is a six track slice of the electro rock we can expect. In total there are three original tracks, accompanied by a demo, a remix and a cover of Radiohead's 2+2=5. Lasting just under 25 minutes, it feels a lot shorter than it is.
Who's it by?
Hailing from Milwaukee, the trio that make up the New Loud are Shane Olivo on guitar, Jessi Nakles on keyboards and Radish Beet on drums. Vocals are shared between the band depending on each part of each song. Recorded by Shane in his studio and mixed by Mark Trombino the EP marks the start of a determined effort to get their sound heard exactly how they want it to be.
As an example...
"You dance into my house/Dance onto my floor/From now on dance into my bed/Like every night before." - Don't Dance
What the others say
"By the end of the six tunes, your ears are worn out from the tinny, pounding sounds and constant shape-shifting, which doesn't bode well for future full length releases. But the New Loud knows its audience." - Dan Siegler, baeblemusic.com
"While the Radiohead version is excellent, the New Loud's take on it is pretty stellar. Fast punk rock beats meshing with sonic jaunts of guitar waves, the trio take the British quintet's musical offering and crank it to 11." - Jay Ziegler, consequenceofsound.net
"The New Loud are, essentially, a mish-mash of styles and moods. Sometimes it works - Don't Dance and Heaven both house anthemic choruses - and sometimes it doesn't." - Mike Haydock, Rocksound.tv
So is it any good?
Pressing play and not knowing what to expect, the intro to Don't Dance burst through my speakers with a mix of electronica samples accompanied by a frantic drum beat setting the scene for what you'd expect to be a full assault of sound, but this quickly withers away as the vocal chanting kicks in. This pretty much sums up the schizophrenic sound of the EP to follow; songs that are not quite sure whether they want to be rock or electronica, and somehow manage to always bridge between the two styles without making the change sound awkward. This works intermittently but it soon becomes a little confusing as to what exactly you should make of this EP.
There is a very brave choice of cover with Radiohead's 2+2=5, and this is something that will no doubt instantly turn people people away from the band, or help to realise the potential within. Personally I'm of the latter persuasion; the upbeat take and duet vocals show that this obviously not trying to emulate the greatness of Radiohead, but that The New Loud are more than capable of taking something and wrapping it in their own unique style. Not everything fits with the style of the track, keyboards near the end especially sounding a little dated, but you have to give credit to the band for not being afraid to mix it up. Heaven, meanwhile, is a likeable tune with a lighter feel than the previous offerings, but it is the demo track Every Girl I See that offers a highlight, most notably because of the softer vocal style, after which you realise the only thing that doesn't always work is the strained vocal style that has been chosen for the majority of the production. Often the deep tone of Olivo is a very deliberate choice and reflective of vintage like the Smiths and Joy Division, and while this fits in well when mirrored by a female accompaniment it isn't always right, whereas the more natural-sounding voice recorded for the demo would perhaps work better throughout
The EP is a nice taster of what may be to come, but some polish is needed. If the band can manage to perfect filling the gap between all of the styles they want to acheive, this album could be essential, but just as easily a turn in the wrong direction could see it become nothing more than a mish mash of random sounds.
7/10
Ben Brady