By Keith Walsh
On a dynamic, visceral post hardcore album stacked with catchy riffs and plenty of new wave influences, the new release Blurred Wires by Upright Forms is packed with bratty beats by the bass /drum team of Noah Paster and Shaun Westphal, and raw, emotive vocals by Nick Sakes who adds his uniquely adroit guitar style. There’s realistic subject matter here about the pains of discontent, representing a defiant stance of personal expression that’s emotionally satisfying. (My new interview with Upright Forms is at Popular Culture Beat).
The first track, “Heaven Knows,” has a vibe like early British punk, but cannier, and less than a minute in, there’s a strange change signaling the creativity that marks the post hardcore movement. Then it bursts into the anthemic chorus again, but now without the raging guitars — only voice, bass and drums. Artists locked into a static dynamic pattern could learn from this – you don’t have to have volume up to 11 throughout the entire song or repeat the same sections again and again. As drummer Westphal explained to me, some of the band’s influences are The Buzzcocks, and Wire, which I definitely hear here, as well as Sex Pistols, and Radiohead, as mentioned by bassist Paster.
“My Lower Self” is the second track, using a grunge style to portray primal disappointment and fear, in a drama about the failure of our bodies in old age, with some avant-garde interjections. The lyrics and occasional weird electronic feedback sounds, matched with powerful depictions of the human condition, along with science references make a catchy, interesting listening experience. In our interview at Popular Culture Beat, Nick Sakes explained to me that it’s about some of the pains experienced while growing older. “It’s just plain and simple,” he said. “Everyone has a body. Everyone’s body falls apart. Everyone’s body betrays them and it’s just like this outrage. It goes back on its ways, you know, the body betrays. I’ve had a lot of bodily betrayals in the last couple of years.”
“Drive At Night” has odd meters and post punky artiness driven by bass, irregular drums and morse code staccato guitar, and gang vocals throughout. Westphal’s drums here are particularly brilliant. Lots of instrumental sounds accented by only a few vocals with lots of structural transitions happening until the repeated chorus at the end. With this song, the uniqueness of this tightly synchronized trio shines, playing deftly through stylistic and tempo changes and narrative variations.
“They Kept On Living,” despite my initial reading as a song about a zombie apocalypse, is about perseverance. Crazy, aggro vocal outbursts with pounding drums and guitar thrashing references the drive to survive in a world of mazes and rewards. And despite Sake’s denial of including social commentary in his lyrics, this one definitely is sociological. There’s some keyboard in the form of a Farfisa organ in the mid 8. As a three piece, this band has all the depth of sound any band could need. “Long Shadow” is catchy and upbeat, with a nihilistic message about having everything, except for perhaps a meaningful perspective.
There’s dense guitars like Ramones but angular chord changes that evoke grunge. Then a tranquil interlude, before going into the verse. Sake’s guitar sounds here are quite bright and rich. He uses a Quilter 50 Watt solid state head, which surprised me because the sound has the features to my ears, of tube amp breakup.
As Sakes explained to me, about his lyrics (with bassist Paster also adding words), he writes from the inside out, using emotions and wordplay to get his message out. “Chopped Even” is about some sort of discord and misfortune, with anthemic repeated vocal phrases ‘praying for you,’ maybe suggested by Paster who says he likes to repeat vocal things in an anthemic way.
“Animositine” is a guitar ballad, with a title that Paster came up with after mishearing the name of an ADHD medication that he tried but that wasn’t effective. The actual medicine is called Atomoxitine, though the lyrics are an abstract theme that Sakes explains is about a personal comment, apparently about someone he knows personally.
“Regular Multiplier” is an arty, driven tune with a 10/4 beat for the main theme, and abstract lyrics. It’s pretty close to prog pop. “Biology Of Time” features odd, shifting time signatures that capitalize on the catchy riffs of the trio. “Mission” plays word games with the idea of finding missions in life, or purposes that might be unworthy, might be imaginary, or might be thwarted. The fast paced verse in 4/4 time leads into a 7/4 section that is sublimely synchronized between the members of the trio.
Blurred Wires was captured by Knol Tate and mastered by Todd Rittmann at The Shy Diamond. Cover art is by Adam Marx. It’s due June 28 from SKiN GRAFT Records, which has hosted Sakes’ bands Dazzling Killmen, Colossamite, Sicbay and Xaddax, across three decades.
(Featured Image by Adam Bulboz.)
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