Labels: Blue Worm Records
Review by: Phil Differ
Porcupine generate enough hooks to open a fishing appliance store with the Queens of the Stone Age influenced grooves as the most popular choice of bait. Grungy infectious bass lines, my favorite aspect of this album, are complimented by an impeccable tone. The guitar playing is influenced by an array of bands ranging from Led Zeppelin to Unwound, utilizing this factor to create something unique and original. The concrete drums and bass work in unison as a solid backbone while the guitarist and his vocals occasionally wander off, returning to provide the instrumentation a real punch. My only trifling complaint is that the band’s sound would be enhanced with gruffer vocals. At first I was not too keen on the vocals, yet after a few listens I have warmed to them more. At first I thought they sounded like Brandon Boyd but now although I can’t think of a suitable comparison they are far more enjoyable.
The album stars with a short Yo La Tengo intro which sets the mood perfectly. The band’s songwriting capabilities flourish and intensify throughout, as cleverly assembled songs such as “Picture Perfect’ and “Go Getter’ are the album’s pinnacle tracks. The latter of these two tracks has one of the best arrangements I have heard in a while. “The Trouble With You’ progresses in a magnificent manner with each individual idea searching for originality and all the concepts joining to reach the same destination. You can almost caress the chemistry this band maintains, something which also differentiates Porcupine from the flock. Safety is a common characteristic present in the sound of many new bands and it’s exciting when you hear a band taking a gamble. As much as I love stuff like grind and doom, catchy shit can pack a punch with as much force. As mentioned before the grungy bass lines steal the show for me on this one.