By Keith Walsh
The self-titled debut LP by Indications is not just a great sounding punk rock record – it’s an awesome rock and roll record with some art rock vibes as well.
The twelve track set features intelligent lyrics and music to match. Guitar sounds by James Shipton and Bryden Scott are heavy yet melodic, drums and bass by Ty Dempsey and Pete Carvalho (respectively) provide the underlying drive in the emotional, sometimes moody, sometimes blistering mix. Shipton’s vocals are powerful, rising above the wall of sound when necessary.
The dense sound is a perfect vehicle for the lyrics, which are about conflict, uncertainty and alienation, relevant messages for sure. The album’s opening track is musically and thematically dark, ranging in sound from Pink Floydian despair to the strange vocal melodies of Alice In Chains. Dark sounds aren’t the only thing this band is about though; guitar sounds are carefully crafted and varied throughout Indications, and there’s plenty of melody as well, as in the bass and guitar on the intro to “Our Lungs.”
From “Our Lungs: “My mind’s under siege , my feet they won’t take the lead/This chaos is comfort, while everything bleeds/(god knows you know) God knows you know,/ I’m as petrified as shit/ I should hold in my guts/ but a hit is a hit.” Thjs may be as poetic a description of anxiety I’ve heard on a rock and roll record.
“Our Lungs,” Casie” and “Antichondriac” are among the most melodic, popular sounding songs on the album, though the band doesn’t pull back on the distortion in any way to make them more commercial. And despite the lyrical pessimism, there’s a determination there, not only in the positive endeavor of putting words and music together and rocking out, but also subtly in the implied search for contentment.
“Drunk On Chablis” starts with a massive sounding, energetic chord progression, followed by reflective lyrics: “Ambulance, can you restart ?/ Ambulance, tell me you’ll try/All that I’ve got is already gone/ And all that you want is all that I stole/ And all that you know, you’d know what you say /It’s better that way, it’s better that way”
Midway through the song, the vibe goes (momentarily) from bombastic to serene as cello tracks from Jake Klinkenborg are introduced, until the wall of guitars kicks in again. “Drunk On Chablis” is a mini masterpiece.
“Deep Fathom” starts off with chiming guitars instead of the harder edged ones, a lilting, melodic verse, and killer guitar solos. The song gets heavier when Shipton sings “I’ve left my plans in the rain/like I could come back again/I’ve got a bone to pick with everyone here/I’ve got a closet filling up with guilt and skeletons teeth…” And how does it feel when it’s under your skin?/Moving the wounds when they’re bleeding out hints/And how does it feel when you’re chasing the win?/And you’re thinking it is, but you’re told it isn’t…” The song gets mellow for the outro – and I love these types of orchestral changes of style, including the arty slowdown at the end.
“Bruise” conveys the pain and mixed feelings of being human, in a lyric that’s ultimately about loyalty. Then there’s the album’s second instrumental interlude (and their both lovely) then a dark prog rock song about a vampiric feeling of alienation. Theres some great tonal changes in this song as well.
There’s some quirky musical sound effects occasionally on Indications, and the intelligent chord progressions and even the guitar sounds remind of me of some of Radiohead’s work. Certainly the existential lyrics are in that vein as well. Fans of 90s grunge, art rock, loud guitars, and awesome songs and smart lyrics will find lots to love here.
(Though Pete Carvalho played bass on Indications, Jared Schmidt is the band’s bass player.)
Indications was recorded at Rain City Recorders, in Vancouver, Canada, with producer Jesse Gander (Japandroids, Woolworm.). The album is on Early Onset Records.
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