by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Last year Brooklyn's Railings released the stunning and unapologetically artistic ) ( LP, an album that kicked mopey indie rock in the teeth with colorful bursts of jazzy, progressive, pop experimentation. There can be but one Railings, and one is a gift. Seventeen months later and (surprise!) the band is back with Sects With The Sheeple, a new EP that has the band expanding on old tricks and employing an ever majestic collection of new ones. It's wild and forward thinking, pop without borders, built on warped psych, lo-fi disco, and the kitchen sink of detached brilliance. There's soul. There's no wave. There's as a galaxy of texture to be uncovered. It's Railings, and the voyage is still only getting started.
Engineered and mixed by Sam Owens (Sam Evian) at Figure 8 Studios with additional mixing by Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez (Ava Luna) at Gravesend Recordings, Railings skirt between lo-fi and studio gloss, it's shimmering, but still undeniably raw. Bursting out the gate with "Miltdown," Alex Ian Smith's (vocals, guitar, synth) presence is immediately known, with a panicked howl parting the otherwise serene synth landscape of their smoothed out alien pop. The band travel space and time, their sultry grooves forever shapeshifting but never losing focus. "The Hourzzz" and "[H]bomb" sound like top 40 hits of the 70's in an alternate reality, songs that are wacky and strained, Smith's voice being thrown in every direction imaginable, crooning from the outer reaches of this stratosphere. Alejandro Salazar Dyer (drums) pulls the latter's bridge to a momentary crawl, reestablishing the beat with a vibrant perfection, adding nuance to their already impressive compositions.
Railings' Sects With The Sheeple is out today. The band play New York this Friday, July 27th at Trans-Pecos with Carlos Hernandez (album release show), Taphari, and Ade Hakim. RSVP and tell your pals.