Track Review: "We've Always Been Here"

Artist: Worthless
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Label: Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records


"Worthless is Curtis Godino, Skyler Toski and Nicole Zamfes. We make sounds for the soul. We are Worthless."

A little over a month from now, Worthless will put out another album called Keep Sleeping. At this time we only have access to the second track, "We've Always Been Here." Unlike their previous self-titled release, "We've Always Been Here" has its grasp on a far eastern influence. The lo-fi, hard to decipher vocals seem to be a common trait of the group. It gives it an eerie feel to fit in the puzzle with the desert rock progression of the song. A comfortable blend between twang and persistent fluid motion is found here, and can easily satisfy your ear. There is a soothing acoustic melody holding the song from the ground up. More complex percussive features start to add a bit of sophistication here and there. Worthless strategically uses the aspect of Start-Stop in this song to tie from one part to another smoothly and confidently. Not nearly as confident as the ending of the song though, where a multi-part harmony carries the ship to a safe docking. I look forward to seeing what the band will pull with the remainder of Keep Sleeping.

Worthless is also releasing this album in a limited edition cassette format of 100 copies. For only $8.00 you can pre-order this and also get a fold out poster with it. Items ship around the 21st of June.

-Woocci

The Sizlacks Demo

Artist: The Sizlacks
Release Date: March 16, 2013
Label: Independent


The Sizlacks, a psychedelic blues-rock band hailing from Perth, dropped their demo on March 16, comprised of songs that were released gradually throughout the year on their youtube profile, with the most recent being released last week. Their style is distinctive and while they maintain a level of diversity from song to song, they have an overarching sound that ties the demo together, characterized by big, reverby guitar effects. They draw heavily on influence from the 1970's, using the guitar tones of Cream and Jimi Hendrix, as well as the wide openness of Pink Floyd. The songs are jammy, and employ what seems to be a solid amount of improvisation. The band's single biggest strength is most likely their collective dynamic range, which comes across in almost every track, and keeps relatively simple hooks sounding fresh. The form of their songs seems to focus primarily on a theme, with variations. Small changes in drum textures and bass lines work under the guitar riffs to keep each tune fresh throughout and fight the monotony that is so common in up and coming bands of this style. Vocals are only present in the first two songs, "Insanity (Part I)" and "Insanity (Part II)", and due to a combination of the simple melodies and the singer's horrendous diction, seem to be more for textural purposes than anything else.

Overall the album is definitely enjoyable, and it comes across that the band had a ton of fun making it, which is always nice to see. The album is surprisingly varied, especially for the genre. Some songs consist primarily of a simple riff played in unison by guitar and bass over a fairly straightforward beat (Blues Berry Jam). Some songs have multi-tracked guitar creating a thick, rich sound (Demo 2). The most apparent weaknesses are the occasional awkward transition, especially in the drums, as well as the less than ideal recording quality, both of which are clearly due to the newness of the band. The album is undoubtedly fun, but it's important to keep in mind that the music is simple. While it may not stand up to a large amount of active listens, it is a fantastic album for throwing on with friends to chill out.

-Ryan Noss