Violent Light

"Violent Light" finds the band's melodic sensibilities intact, but with rougher edges than before.. Singer Kyle Wilson weaves together his falsetto and lower registers as seamlessly as he always has, but the songs on this album have more of a sense of urgency. With the departure of multi-instrumentalist Eric Schwortz and the addition of kinetic drummer Paul Payabab the band has become a four-piece, and this stripped-down lineup has translated to the music: the songs are somewhat more crystalline, more hard-edged than on the previous album, without losing any of the beauty. First single "The Letterbomb" is a great example of this. Wilson's voice wanders over and through a musical landscape punctuated by Payabab's snapping, near-funk rhythms, while found-sound voices and piano hover hauntingly in the mix. It's a dreamy, psychedelic landscape with a solid heartbeat, no easy feat for any band. Recorded at home by the band and mixed by wunderkind Andrew Maury (Ra Ra Riot, RAC),Violent Light feels immediate and complex, challenging and welcoming at the same time. It's exciting to think how these songs will come across live, as they really give the band - and the audience - something to sink their teeth into.