by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Way back in the early months of 2015, Rye Pines released their sophomore album, Dead Ocean, a blistering blend of old school Modest Mouse dusty twang and big distorted stoner-punk. The songs were visual, transporting listeners to serene landscapes with unpredictable results. Since then, the duo became a trio, and the gentler aspects of their sound have long since been removed. Rye Pines rock with a fury, revved up and sinister, the band return with Roll With The Urchins, due out next month via King Pizza Records (The Mad Doctors, OxenFree, The Royal They, etc). That dusty charm remains, but the band rip harder than ever, bending their twangiest moments into walls of colossal riffs. It's still triumphantly weird at times, so no need to worry there.
First single "Spiderback Boogie" is a bit of an outlier on the record, a ravaged garage punk jam that moves on anxious energy and surf punk melodies. The spastic tempo and guitars groove in a locked frenzy, jittering with seething restlessness, fueled by manic riffs and Edward Maguire's howling vocals. With a thick layer of grease and grime, the band shake and convulse, riding the caustic to the point of combustion. It's not necessarily representative of Roll With The Urchins as a whole, but the dynamic record rarely stands still, so it's as fitting a starting point as any.
Rye Pines' Roll With The Urchins is out this December via King Pizza Records.