The Wake

Do you ever find yourself longing for the old days, a time when music was dipped in a vat of sweat-soaked plaid button-ups, distorted anguish, and raw power? Perhaps your nostalgia runs deeper – back to a time when psychedelic guitar solos reigned supreme. If this be the case, you may find comfort in the reminiscent stylings of Retribution Gospel Choir’s self-titled debut.

Retribution Gospel Choir, a three man band out of Duluth, Minnesota, features front man Alan Sparhawk, drummer Eric Pollard and bassist Matthew Livingstone. Sparhawk and Livingstone are originally members of Low, a band dubbed one of the pioneers of slowcore. Low, founded in the mid 90’s, was making minimalist music during an era fascinated with grunge. In the new millennium, the boys are upping the noise level with Retribution Gospel Choir, and seem to be reaching back to a style of music from whichthey were once considerably different.

The album wastes no time. The opening track, titled “They Knew You Well”, quickly introduces the listener to heavy drums and bass complimented by mind-bending harmonies that characterize the band’s sound. A couple of tracks later, the break-beat rhythm of “Breaker” will have you tapping your feet and repeating the lurid lyrics again and again in your head. The song, an original by Low, features Sparhawk’s wife (Low member Mimi Parker) lending back-up vocals. Her inclusion adds a husband-wife softness to the hard sound of the instruments. The following track, “Somebody’s Someone”, provides a solo that keeps the guitars cranked and heavy, but also calls upon classic rock solos of legends past.

Mid album, the songs drift from unapologetically hard to an eclectic mixture of soft and upbeat. Lighter tracks like “Destroyer” give the listener time to appreciate the uniqueness of Sparhawk’s voice, while “What She Turned Into” serves as a shockingly upbeat departure from the rest of the album. Sparkhawk’s voice could easily be pegged as a whine, but his on-key harmonies and intense volume transform into a sound better described as hypnotic. Lyrically, the album is sparse and dark, with Sparhawk crooning simple lines like “I am the destroyer” and “our bodies break and our blood just spills and spills”.

The undiluted power and grittiness of the album is a plus, but the song lengths can run teasingly short. Although the band calls upon certain style elements of grunge and classic rock, to boil their sound down to simply a hybrid of the two would be unjust. Overall the combination of gritty guitar, classic rock inspired solos and surprisingly catchy melodies creates a completely new style of music that will pleasantly surprise and remain grounded in your head long after the ear buds come out.

The self-titled debut will be released on March 18 by indie label Caldo Verde, and the St. Paul Turf Club can be expecting a visit from the band on March 22.

Retribution Gospel Choir - For Her Blood