New
Black
Self-titled CD
THICK
Records
Genres: indie rock, punk rock
THICK Records
PO Box 220245
Chicago IL 60622
May 24 - 30 2004 |
New Black's sound takes some getting used to, but once you've
been assimilated to their unique brand of outrageous, new wave/no-wave
indie rock, you could be in for a real treat. This self-titled disc is the
band's THICK Records debut, and it totally fits into the label's
philosophy. The New Black style places a lot of focus on melody, but is
also very concerned with mood and texture - the music is
playful, using lots of interesting concepts and sonic experiments to
lend the songs a wide array of attitudes and feels. "RobotoboR,"
for example, has a bit of a secret spy tinge, while "Last
Wave" has a definite chase-like structure. The variety of
compositional styles can seem a bit disjointed, although it also adds
lastability to the disc - it never seems to become monotonous,
although the band's wily antics could become a bit tiresome to more
conservative listeners.
Overall, this is a tremendously enjoyable debut for New
Black; while it probably won't become a large success, it should
garner itself a decent enough niche audience. Give this disc a try if
you're up for some melodic, exciting indie rock without pretension.
87%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 9 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |