Notches - New Kinda Love
Seacoast, New Hampshire punk-pop outfit Notches dropped a tasty album not too long ago. It’s called New Kinda Love.
Notches
Made up of Zac Mayeux (bass, vocals), Ezra Cohen (guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Dante Guzzardi (drums), the band describes their sound: "Halfway between the brilliant but scrappy melodies of '90's Ringing Ear bands and the mix of wiseguy/self-loathing attitude of Archers of Loaf, Notches are something like an emo band for those interested in anything but."
For a fact, their sound is superb, vaguely reminiscent of Foo Fighters merged with Rufio, with low-slung yet potent vocals. There’s definitely an emo aroma to Notches music, but it’s wrapped in a pop-punk matrix, so it doesn’t come across as all saccharine and heartrending.
New Kinda Love contains 10-tracks, commencing with “Room Upstairs,” riding jangly-flavored guitars pushing out beau coupe heft. I love it when the song shifts to a dreamy, creamy softer and more melodic flow.
Indeed, there’s not a bad track on the album.
Entry points include “Funny How,” traveling on gleaming thick guitars with brilliant accents and delicious rumbling, rolling drums. Melodic vocals feature urgent textures and anxious infusions, yet there’s a smooth flow to the tones not usually associated with pop-punk.
“Museum Of More Dumb Art” opens on staggered guitar riffs topped by cool vocals. A powerful, shimmering and muscular breakdown leads to a drum-filled section of grand oomph, followed by the killer crescendo.
“Crystal Ball” begins with strident feedback flowing into dark, heaving colors full of grinding energy. I love the bright accents injected by the guitar, as the vocals stream out with mellifluous insistence.
Indeed, there’s not a bad track on the album. All ten tracks are worth listening to. Even though Notches’ sound doesn’t fit the ‘normal’ definition of pop-punk, the band delivers excellent music with plenty of sonic punch, only less raw and glossier.
With their innovative sound, Notches provides tantalizing music, rife with mucho muscle atop contagious rhythms, all capped by tasty vocals.
