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Porcupine

I See Sound EP

Written by: PP on 23/06/2014 19:53:55

The 90s spirit is strong in this one. Porcupine from Wisconsin have released two full lengths in the past, channeling the vibes of early Queens of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters and many other alternative rock staples on their latest EP "I See Sound". It offers six tracks of straight up 90s rock with added fuzzy distortion and quirky moods that take the style a little bit outside of their more mainstream sounding contemporaries. There are even hints of 70s psychedelia in the mix if you really listen closely.

Let's start with vocalist/guitarist Casey Virock, whose style resembles Josh Homme closely enough to raise an eyebrow or two. Sadly, he doesn't share the same sense for fantastic guitar melody to complement his, even though a track like "I'm Next To You" closely resembles QOTSA material while also incorporating the aforementioned Foo Fighters references. This means many of the songs are decent, thanks to an experimentalist approach to the riffs that brings forth a groovy, kind of funky sound, but lack the pop element to latch the choruses onto your mind permanently.

Sure, you can argue that "Thought You Should" and "Odd Surroundings" provide a few such moments, but these aren't strong enough to lift the band out from obscurity even on a national level, let alone an international one. This is the story of the whole EP, in fact. On one hand, it functions as a trip down the memory lane to the fuzzy 90s atmosphere when it comes to its alternative rock stance, but at the same time, it's just not convincing enough songwriting wise.

Download: Odd Surroundings, Thought You Should
For the fans of: Queens Of The Stone Age, Swervedriver, Foo Fighters, Built To Spill
Listen: Facebook

Release date 19.04.2014
Riot House Records