by Jare C (@jareccurtis)
In every city’s music scene, there’s always that handful of bands that seem to be everywhere. They’re a little ubiquitous, seem to be the band that out-of-towners gravitate towards, and every year, get a little bit better, bit by bit, playing reliably and steadily. Portland, Maine’s Amiright? has been one of those very bands for almost a decade. A little punky, a little grungy, a little jammy, and plenty unique and quirky, Amiright? has been a group that very well represents the energy of Portland’s independent music scene. The band released their first full-length record Lavender House in 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic began. In the years since, the trio has clearly taken all that time to build up, retool, and restructure the foundation set way back when. On their latest project, Husk of a Body, Amiright? takes their angular, cursive style of indie rock, pumps it full of depth, fuzz, and color, and drives that new sonic perspective into a lot of really interesting new directions.
From the jump with “Jaundice,” the band firmly plants the flag for their signature blend of shimmery, summery guitar lines that cast a lighthearted groove against a fuzzy, busy soundscape. The melody is catchy and revealing, with each instrumental patch opening up plenty of space for the rough and tumble, back-n-forth vocals. After that standout introduction, Amiright? seamlessly shifts into “Delivery Driver,” a heavily driven track that really lets their angular guitar style fly. The track flits all around in a dreamy groove that wouldn’t be too out of place in a 2013 indie rock playlist, only to hit the gas in the tail end, creating a heavier, grungier atmosphere.
The record really continues on that course, but it’s a style rollercoaster. From track to track, Amright? is throwing the listener in a lot of different directions, but the energy always stays high, even if the mood takes a break or a shift. The instrumental track of “They are Burying a Barry Berkman Out Back” is the perfect example of this, and its delicate fadeout gives way to an absolutely bombastic start for “Diaper Full of Shit.” Don’t let that picturesque title deceive you into thinking that this isn’t the catchiest, bounciest, track on the record, either. The personality conveyed through this track, coupled with a standout beat and melody, as well as a wide contrast in emotional and lyrical content, truly showcase the band at their best and give the exact impression of who Amiright? really is.
“Four Legs Six Ribbits” follows this up with a slower, fuzzed out wall of sound that takes the baton that the previous track and runs with it all the way throughout. The energy that floods into that next five minutes will see the whole rest of the record through to the finish line. “Sequel to Head Will Explode” is a decisive throat punch that follows up the lighthearted, jammy aesthetic put forth from “headwillexplode,” a local favorite from the bands’ first record. This aggression, coupled with that trademark Amiright? introspection, pushes into “Piledriver,” giving way to a lighter, Lavender House-esque drive on “Car Dealership,” which sees the band returning to their earlier roots a bit. This finally culminates with the funny, grooving force of “Slacks,” whose tongue-in-cheek vocal delivery very well compliments it’s plodding, horse-on-the-trail atmosphere, a fitting end to such a grimy, crooked-toothed smile of a record.
From track to track, you really get the sense that Amiright? is truly set in pole position with this record. They’ve clearly taken a lot of time, and put a lot of thought into how they want to move forward, while still standing true to what made their sound so unique and engaging from the onset. As a second album, Husk of a Body certainly does all of the things a second album should do - the production is tight and loose in all the right places, the ideas are expansive but still very focused, and the songwriting is funny and lighthearted, yet still very honest. That exercise in compliment and contrast is not only smart musicianship - but it makes for a listening experience that is engaging and fun. Amiright? took a big swing here, and it absolutely paid off. Husk of a Body is a record that really shows why smaller bands have such a finger on the pulse, and why their sounds, scenes, and expression is so important.