2012
CD / Vinyl 12" / digital
Dripping is the second full album from Boston's Pile, and I'm not going to let unfamiliarity with their earlier material prevent me from strongly recommending this rowdy yet supremely memorable stomp of a record.
Immediate reference points are groups like Polvo, Harvey Milk and Archers of Loaf, although Pile offer a much more open and loose sound. Songs tend to build up to a brilliantly driving thud and fade away to nothing more than gentle vocals and a single guitar line, the whole time maintaining a deeply satisfying melancholy. Standout track 'Prom Song' sums this up best, offering some serious head banging while also drifting off into some touching and downright sad moments.
Album opener 'Baby Boy' and mid point track 'Bump a Grape' offer some serious shout-a-long moments, drenched in grime and anguish, largely a result of vocalist / guitarist Rick Maguire's voice - whether through hoarse yells or gentle crooning it's superbly emotive and full of character. In fact its the swings between gentle and aggressive that make this such a compelling record, it's all pretty loud and pretty downbeat, but the shifts in tone combined with the largely linear structure make for an album that is consistently surprising.
Ultimately this is a extremely satisfying record, its roughly 36 minute running time flies by, and I would be excited to see if Pile had any plans to tour the UK. Anyone who gets anything out of noisy / heavy alternative rock will get something out of this album. All of Pile's records are available to listen to on Bandcamp, and are available to download for extremely reasonable prices.
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