Aussies put spin on grunge
By Damian Cossitt
The Flat Hat
From the first seconds of their self-titled debut, CrashPalace grabs its listeners with no intention of letting go.
This new Australian band wastes no time showing that they are not just another high-distortion, high-bass throwback to Nirvana, starting with their the first track, "Whatever Gets You Through," a grunge groove. In the first bars of the song, Crashpalace demonstrate that they are able to solve the eternal problem of balancing power with intricacy. By the time lead Marcus Maloney sings the line "I never get it right," listeners will have no choice but to disagree.
The sound that CrashPalace offers in the first three tracks is a complex arrangement of musical elements. CrashPalace begins their album with a rough but solid strain of rock that melds Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, Tool, Nine Inch Nails and Silverchair. That list only approximates the range of sound, and there are many moments that call to mind other past masters.
For example, the guitar solo in the third track, "Brickwall," is a comfort to anyone who ever thought that the Pixies might have been forgotten. There are a few shocking moments when Maloney sounds exactly like Kurt Cobain. The songs thunder like any other standard alternative material, but well-placed and well-played riffs, ripples and effects give them too much dimension for them to be confused with the common fare. CrashPalace introduces itself as a band that knows what it's doing.
Just when CrashPalace's style threatens to become predictable, they slide smoothly into other musical styles, seeming never to miss a step. With the guitar volume turned down and the emphasis on Maloney's vocals, the fourth track, "Two Kinds" runs the risk of sounding too much like a flat Oasis song, but CrashPalace brings the song to an almost orchestral height that Oasis can't touch.
"Evolution" is a song that pays an alternative-style homage to new wave. They crank up the distortion for "Do It Again," a gritty Brit punk song with exceptional mixing and take the listener completely by surprise with "Crop Circles," an ethereal acoustic song oddly meshed with strangely manipulated drum technology.
"Come On" is a masterpiece. A floor of thudding bass pushes up against a twinkling keyboard, and in between, swirling guitars and Maloney's voice swim in between the two. This song is a thoughtful journey that runs a wide gamut of musical possibilities, and it's perfectly seamless. "Come On" is easily the climax of the album. The following songs ease out the album.
"Control" has a good beat, but the somewhat trite tone of caffeinated desperation weighs the song down. "Sinner or Saint" is not terribly original musically or lyrically, and "Sit and Watch the Sky" is a bit too ballady, but CrashPalace manages to make these songs redeeming. It's difficult to pay much attention to the last three songs because "Come On" has so much punch that almost anything seems weak for a few minutes after listening to it. "One in a Million" turns the volumes back up for a few minutes and reminds the listener of the livelier songs preceding "Control."
The closing track, "Terra Firma," is also very well done. It is one of CrashPalace's more distinctive tracks. "Terra Firma" is hard to place in any one style or genre, but it is an energetic, intelligent composition similar to "Come On." CrashPalace shakes off the cliches of "Sinner or Saint" and "Control" and delivers one last shining performance. It lacks the force of "Come On," but after all, the last song of any album is the track that, in effect, puts the album to sleep.
CrashPalace has landed and its first shot in the big leagues is a success. Successful innovators must first show their competence in contemporary styles before they can take art to new places. This first album constitutes that initial stage in CrashPalace's career. Once the band has established itself in the music-listening world, new and better material by Maloney and crew will be on the way. The Australian invasion has begun.
Crashpalace - ****
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