Labels: Jade Tree Records
Review by: Andy Malcolm
And about time too as I get my fumbling hands on the latest output from le PRing, a 3 track EP released back in late October. I like this band too much, so you can take my ramblings here with a bucket of salt.
For what is basically a pop band, the Promise Ring certainly seem to be developing a lot. There’s distinct differences between the first two albums, and they’ve again moved their own goalposts for this new stuff. Yup, it’s distinctly the same patented guitar sound, ‘wobbly’ singing and cutesey yet often odd lyrics. But opener “Tell Everyone We’re Dead” wouldn’t quite sound in place on “Nothing Feels Good”. Although not especially a rocking number (bar the more upbeat chorus), the song carries you a long at quite a pace in it’s waves of repetetive guitar. And within a listen or two, the melodies are buried so deep in your head, that even performing the ancient South American ritual of drilling holes in your skull to release evil spirits won’t work here.
Moving onto “Best Looking Boys”. Uh-oh. Here we have the most infectious rhythmical guitar that the Promise Ring have come up with yet. Which is quite a feat. Can you say bouncy? This one goes sixty miles high. Which just leaves me to use one other word: catchy. Last up is the short and relatively insignificant “American Girl”, which doesn’t really fit the mood of this release. Oh well.
Best pop band in the world. Of that there is no doubt.