Restorations – S/T LP (2011, Tiny Engines)

I had the chance to make it out to the Restorations record release party last month at Kungfu Necktie. I picked up the LP before the show even started, based solely off the 2 new songs available to stream at the time and the stamp of get-this-shit-now I gave to their previous 12″ on Paper + Plastick. Strange Behavior hinted at the band’s ability to seamlessly cross genres and Restorations sees these guys taking this skill a step further, into a sparsely occupied realm of unclassifiable post-everything-core centered around chiming to cascading guitars, lead singer Jon Loudon’s signature growl and unpredictable twists/turns/ups-downs. Case in point, I was a little caught off guard by the opening track’s dark-alley-crawl into a crescendo of fuck-yeah buzzing, space-guitar action. They also opened the show with this to très maximum effect. Again, you’d think a band with such a steep hardcore/punk-rock pedigree would stray from any sort of sing-along melodies but cuts like ‘Neighborhood Song’ and the anthemic closer ‘When You’re Older’ embed themselves into that certain sweet spot in your brain where great songs go to earn their keep. Don’t take that the wrong way – I’m not playing the aging-punks-write-pussy-mature-rock-album card (I’m probably older than any single member here…) – these guys can rip, on tape and live. If you pine for music with true staying power instead of the standard daily dose of band/song-of-the-moment, hype-machine bullshit then you could stand to set this on repeat to help wash away that excess. The LP can be had for a cool $13 – still available from Tiny Engines in classic black or clear with yellow swirl. Stream and/or purchase the digital version on their Bandcamp. As I write this I think the band is looking for a new practice space in the Fishtown area. If I weren’t renting I’d offer up my basement, considering my neighbor’s kids are as loud as jackhammers at all hours of the day and week.

Neighborhood Song

Val ‘d Or

Official video for When You’re Older

Nonlocality (acoustic) @ Grindcore House