Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
This is just what the doctor ordered! Some old fashioned noise rock in the vein of The Velvet Underground, Jesus and Mary Chain, Stooges, et. al. Just some great psychedelic tinged rock and roll. I was beginning to think that rock music out of the United States was dead on arrival, but here comes Slacker Paint by the Mary Veils. I know it is only one release in the sea of auto-tune, but I am still very optimistic. I scan and listen to new releases almost every day and most are disappointing. Then I found this diamond in the rough.
The Mary Veils are A Philadelphia, PA based garage rock act. Starting out as the solo project of songwriter Brian Von Uff. Maybe Philadelphia is becoming a hub for ambient and garage-y rock and roll. The Mary Veils fit in nicely with other Philly based bands such as The War On Drugs, Low Cut Connie, and Ron Gallo. Ron now lives in Nashville, but he still has very deep Philly roots.
This really takes me back to the 80s when noise pop was in its infancy. The use of cacophonous sounds blended with lush vocals and harmonies to create a sound that is gorgeous and complete ear candy. I haven’t used that phrase in a while, but this is well deserving of that description.
Cold As A Knife is the first song that caught my ear and it isn’t letting go. This number touches me at a deeper level than just auditory. With vocals that are reminiscent of Gish era Smashing Pumpkins, this song is a musical journey and not just a song. Plenty of feedback and atypical sounds are blended with pitch perfect vocals and a serious groove that is as deep as a trench. The feeling this song evokes is a combination of contentment, peacefullness, and a tinge of chills. This is a song in the Twangri-La wheelhouse.
The Mary Veils dabble into some good punk rock power chords and vocals as well. These guys know their way around the world of 80s and early 90s post punk. Time is a little punk ditty that is effervescing with pure sonic energy. This may have been recorded in a studio but this has such a live feel. It seems they let the tapes run and just fuckin’ play. I respect the hell out of that. Plenty of ear-pleasing feedback. In case you were wondering what my favorite instrument is, it’s feedback. In addition to the lovely feedback, there are some luxurious backing vocals that in perfect balance with the feedback and the noisier elements of the song.
If you like your psychedelic music pure, as I do, then you must have a listen to The Mope. This song is heavy and dirgy, and oh so pretty. The super loud and distorted guitars are in the right place at the right time. Once the vocals begin, it’s like a Mevins/Black Sabbath hybrid. A perfect rock and roll number, if ever I have heard one. Because there is great vibe and a great melodies and harmonies, it doesn’t play quite so heavy.
It certainly has been a while, I thought rock and roll was on life support. Slacker Paint has made me change my mind. This is the auditory equivalent of having a meal at a four star Michelin restaurant. The big diffy is it won’t set you back $500 per head and you can keep your distance.
Listen and buy Slacker Paint here.