Review Summary: Melodic addiction that is sure to "Be your best friend".
My theory is that originality + rhythmic and melodic familiarity = Great music. While the indie/garage rock genre is no new territory, the Palma Violets may have very well conquered it. “180” is the very first Palma Violets album and it is pretty damn impressive. This London band produces a psychedelic sound that is reminiscing of the 1960’s. This and a garage band attitude. To quote them “I wanna be your best friend” and this album could very well be.
The “Palma Violets” are a four piece band which is appropriate for the genre. The bassist/vocalist is “Chilli Jenson” His bass playing compliments the rhythm of the drum beats very well. His vocal style is very raw and emotive . The vocals could easily be compared to those of a 1960’s garage band such as “the seeds” or "The Zombies".
The Guitarist and vocalist goes by the name of Sam Fryer. He’s guitar produces a pleasantly psychedelic jangling sound. An occasional wailing sound can also be heard. One cannot help but think of the early recordings of “The Who” when hearing the sound of his guitar. He has some skill but most of the songs consist of rather basic chords. The keyboardist is called “Peter Mayhew” . His playing is the main factor in the band’s psychedelic sound. Without it the band would sound like just an average indie band. The keyboard playing actually reminds me of that of the early punk band "The Stranglers".
The drummer is Will Doyle and he’s drumming is pretty basic but in this case basic is good.
The lyrics are really pretty clever but it’s so obvious that the band’s aim is to make them easily to sing along to. This will most definitely make for excellent live shows where the audience and band feel a sense of unity. Unity in song that is! The album consists of many instances of repeating a certain song line to make it stand out. This is a winning formula and pretty much fail-proof.
For Example: “You got me Dancing in the sun” x 4.
Of course there are plenty of ohhhs, ahhhs, heys and yeahs throughout the entire album. What else would you expect from the genre? They’ve got a recurring theme of using elementary poetry. Elementary poetry is of course rhyming.
“The Human race
He always wins the race
In outer space
Get out of Space"
The intros to the songs are very strong . They sort of just pull you in.
The opening lines of the entire album are no exemptions
“I see Alaina in the distance Shouting out a word
Oh how she runs through presistence
oh her mind is so absurd"
In conclusion this is a fantastic album that is hard not to love. I am addicted to the latest musical drug that is “Palma Violets”. I suggest you try it. One hit and you will be hooked.
My rating: 4.5 /superb
Pros:
Sounds like no other British indie band at the moment.
Winning melodies
Clever lyrics
Easy to sing along
Emotive
An addictive psychedelic sound
Repetition
Cons:
Repetition
Beatle-esque back ground singing
Recommended tracks:
Best of Friends
All the Garden Birds
Tom the Drum
Last of the summer wine.
