I tell you what, Deep Elm ain’t half a prolific label. Hardly a week goes by without them releasing a new record, and their love and passion for their work is really there to be admired. Dallas’ Slowride are the latest band to get the Elm treatment, offering catchy songs that the label claims is the most punk record they’ve ever put out. It’s an interesting comment and one that half-stands up – it’s not that’Building A Building’ is a snotty, sneering album, but it certainly has more balls than some of the other bands on the roster.
‘Solitary Man’ kicks things off with sub one minutes of acoustic Texan drawl, not the kind of thing you’d expect from a band that come across more like Vagrant’s No Motiv than a band who over-use the unplugged instruments. Leading into ‘Smoke Cigarettes’ and then ‘Panther 1’, the band launch into a volley of dirty guitar riffs that maintain a melodic edge even amongst the dark tinge the lyrics nod towards. The handclaps through the verses are a nice touch, making the track itself a really classy effort. ‘Panther 4’ rolls in with harmonies and melodies coming out from all angles; the pace really creating bundles of energy which sums the band up better than any words could portray.
‘Sacrifice v Apathy’ takes a more sparse approach to songwriting, the acoustic guitars return and the pace drops dramatically – and it works. Vocalist Dan Phillips’ voice drips emotion, making the natural feel of the slower tracks fit into a record that is otherwise bursting with energy. The passion remains, even if the speed is much slower. ‘Panther 2’ and the album’s title track bring back the noise, the latter track is especially good, while ‘Track 13’ rips up the rulebook and produces a gem of a song that remains catchy without sticking to any verse/chorus formula. ‘Just Do It’ is even darker and more gritty, yet still maintains this odd feelgood factor – clearly the sign of a great band.
Some of the songs were written in Slowride‘s infancy and it’s to the bands credit that they’ve clearly stood the test of time. With this being my first step into the Slowride world, I cannot compare any of their previous work at all, but I will try and check some of it out. There’s enough charm and talent on offer here to make even the most hardened of fans wilt under the melodies.
www.deepelm.com
Paul