We at OVRLD are going to begin regularly featuring local Austin bloggers sharing their opinions on local Austin bands. Brian Audette has been kind enough to be our first contributor. If you like his writing, check him out at Plenty for All. Enjoy!
That Ovrld hasn’t yet reviewed a Sour Notes album is a damn shame [Ed. Note: Well you don’t have to be a jerk about it!], but one that Ovrld has recognized and seen fit to rectify [Ed. Note: Oh, that’s cool. Thanks!] in asking me to take a stab at reviewing “Two Hands Wait,” The Sour Notes’ contribution to a new 7” split with Marmalakes. It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I’m a fan of The Sour Notes. 2011’s Last Looks LP was one of my top 5 albums of the year and my kind comments have been re-tweeted by @thesournotes so many times that I’m fairly certain our Twitter accounts are going steady. The Sour Notes’ unique brand of alternately raucous and tranquil indie rock falls squarely within my wheelhouse: a potent mixture both boisterous and twee with just a hint of that post-punk/new wave aesthetic.
“Two Hands Wait” is the next step in the life cycle of a band whose sound has been evolving by leaps and bounds with every new release. The song opens with a wall of horns and guitars that for me recalls the fractured fervor of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man”, but quickly settles into a slow, seductive beat as the verse begins. Jared Boulanger’s vocals are low and leading as the song fills with a bluesy, psychedelic anxiety punctured by the wailing return of horns for the chorus. As this progressive pop number wraps up in a frenetic horn/guitar crescendo similar to the one it began with, I find myself craving a repeat of the last 3 minutes and 20 seconds of audio bliss. “Two Hands Wait” is a harbinger of great things to come for The Sour Notes; with a new LP scheduled for later this year, the band is poised to deliver once again.
The “WAIT // WHITE” split 7” with the Marmalakes will be released on February 9th on limited edition white vinyl or you can purchase it digitally now over at the No Play Music Bandcamp page.
Brian Audette is a Senior Game Designer at BioWare Austin on the Star War: The Old Republic game. When he’s not telling Jedi where to stand and what to do he can be found listening to his many records, belting out a tune at one of Austin’s many karaoke spots, or commenting on life, the universe, and everything at the blog Plenty for All.