by Kris Handel
Philadelphia four piece Palm have always lived on the edge of post-punk leaning indie rock and avant leaning experimentalism, as each release has pushed the band further and further toward exploration. On their third full length, Nicks and Grazes, Palm fully lean into expanding their electronic and dance urges while the conversational guitar skronkings and creative rhythm section embellishments bubble underneath. The flexibility that the musicians of Palm - Kasra Kurt (guitar/vocals), Eve Alpert (guitar/vocals), Gerasimos Livitanos (bass), Hugo Stanley (drums), and additional help from producer Matt Anderreg - continue to expand upon and the language they all speak between each other is frankly astonishing, no matter how complex a direction they wish to turn. Rock Island saw Palm incorporating a lot of midi-processed guitar and other flourishes that had the band adding a “world music” element into their spiky arrangements. With this album, that spirit of exploration continues but there is a murkier, glitchy, industrial feel to much of the proceedings.
"Touch and Go" kicks off the record in throbbing fashion as Livitanos' bass spits out bumping notes over Stanley's shifting drum work as stop-start guitar action combines with airy electronics. Alpert and Kurt's vocals blur and almost meld into one as they soar and strain amongst the rolling, slightly dark, industrial raucous musical environs. "Eager Copy" is a track of glitchy wonder as the guitars scrape and squeal while Alpert wordlessly warbles over jumpy and occasionally pounding drums, grinding guitar, and synths/electronics bubbling up and through. The use of repetition allows for a solid groove indebted throb to form, creating a thrilling listen as sounds swirl and melodies weave about and dissolve at unexpected moments.
"Away Kit" begins with vocals over a wobbly synth line before guitars introduce themselves in a slow and sparkly manner as electronics bloom around throbbing bass and intermittent drum skittering. Palm once again bring a heaping dose of glitch-pop into their repertoire in a reinvigorated and captivating fashion, adding another powerful weapon to tap into. "Mirror Mirror" stutters and bleats as Livitanos' bass swerves and bombs between spiky guitar. Alpert's vocals have a jaunty flow to them as they wiggle around a little bit of instrumental chaos. Keyboards arrive in a jumble of clouds as the throb intensifies and the guitars tremble and surge before everything all of a sudden drops away into an electronics enabled fade out.
Nicks and Grazes never fails to push the limits of blurring genre lines and does so with much intrigue and exploration, providing a massive payout for the listening audience. Palm swerve in so many directions yet never get lost in the tangle of their ideas and musical innovation. It's really quite stunning. This album will make you feel as if you are floating in a wild and unrestrained realm that can be overwhelming, yet the desire to never stop searching for something new is nothing less than fascinating. The scope of musical styles that Palm has the ability to play with is seemingly endless, guaranteeing something unique and, for lack of a better phrase, otherworldly, with each record. There are quite a few surprises on this record and all of them are welcome from a band that keeps growing in every respect possible.