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pleasuresrubThe Rub may be Florida based psych band Pleasures’ debut EP, but within the first few minutes of listening it is clear that this is no first attempt at crafting excitable dance rock for these musicians. Technically, Pleasures is the evolution of the band Sons of Hippies, and while the two projects may share a similar lineup, Pleasures delivers something far more chaotic than its former incarnation. Each one of the four songs here is densely packed with noisy bright synths, jamming guitars, and spaced-out catchy vocals. Every element and structural choice present in one of these tracks, from the pulsating drums and bouncy riffs in Everything Forever” to the hard rock breakdowns found in Gemini Twins” feels tightly knit and meticulously thought out; proof in itself that these musicians have been refining and perfecting this sound for years.

At the head of all of this cacophony is Katherine Kelly, whose light voice is filled with just enough phonetic peculiarities and run through just enough vocal effects to create an interesting series of trippy hooks. The hypnotic call of changing your mind” on the track Tryna Get the Honey From the Pot” is both mantra-like and hypnotic. When contrasting these vocals with the hurried drum fills and melodic riffs underneath them, we can see clearly the sonic vision this band holds. And considering that The Rub is meant to be their debut piece, what interesting sounds Pleasures will create next is something to be much anticipated.


2015-10-16