Archie Powell and the Exports
“With simple melodies and sardonic lyrics, Archie Powell and the Exports' new album, Great Ideas in Action, may well be the soundtrack to this summer.” - NPR’s World Cafe
“The rave-up “Crazy Pills” rides a driving organ riff to frantic heights, with Powell howling above chugging guitars and pounding drums. It’s acerbic in a Costello vein, carrying a bite to match the sharp music.” - AV Club
“Powell and his Exports pair crunchy guitar riffs with great song titles...Its party rock that is, in fact, rock music.” - FUSE TV
Heartbreak, shame, sorrow and guilt. In the case of Archie Powell, his new collection of songs prove that for him, no good crush gets requited. He and the Exports present Back in Black, an explosive set that marries the melodic, hooky addiction of their previous albums with a new heavier, noisy backing. Powell notes that the political songs on their critically acclaimed “Great Ideas in Action” got a lot of attention, but he felt that the more inwardly centered songs held up just as well. “I felt that the real strength of our body of work was with internal subject matter. Writing this album, I wanted to be bluntly transparent about sex and romance. I was really looking to be nakedly honest despite any discomfort or personal embarrassment it would invariably cause.”
With a desire to capture sound and spirit of their high-energy live show, the band set out for Chrome Attic with producer and like-minded soundsmith Jonathan Alvin (Santah, Surfer Blood), a soul brother with the chops and innovative outlook to help them realize their vision. Keen pop sensibility with harsh noise soundscapes compliment one another and lend a cohesiveness to a set of tunes that are otherwise markedly dissimilar.
Thematically, the lyrics speak of heartbreak, longing and infatuation – they are presented in a sonically dischordant way, creating a musical dichotomy that breathes fresh air into a time honored rock n’ roll tradition. “I’m always looking for a twist, to make things musically interesting for myself” explains Powell, “I ditched any songs that seemed too pat, too easy, and focused on the ones that had a creepy feeling on the first listen, then became more relatable as you dig in. Conversely, I've also always loved the happy sounding pop songs that have weird, depraved subject matter. It's the same kind of rub.” The album has a lot of texture and depth, listening at low volume presents a very different experience from blasting it on high.
RIYL: Fidlar, Eagulls, SW/MM/NG, Skaters, Paws
TRY: #4, 5, 8
DIRTY: #1
Download full album here:
https://www.piratepirate.com/downloads/
More Info Here:
http://archiepowell.com
https://www.facebook.com/archiepowellandtheexports
https://twitter.com/archiepowell
http://instagram.com/archiepowell/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ExportTV
https://archiepowell.bandcamp.com
http://www.last.fm/music/Archie+Powell+&+The+Exports