Drowning Effect
Techniculture
(Vibraphone)

The heavy-hitting, wailing guitar of “Bright Lights” begins Drowning Effect’s new full-length album Techniculture. By the time we are into the lead guitar following Thad Baker’s vocal melody, one knows that they are in the capable hands of a solid Post-Grunge/Punk Rock trio.

The echoes of guitar get us into the jumping, yet not so heavy-hitting beat, of “Headlines.” Once against there is the poking/prodding tease in Baker’s vocal delivery, here reminding me of Ray Davies. Drummer Mark Loftin is especially kinetic on this song.
“Nothing Said” slows things down from the guitar attack, giving James Spadaro lots of space under Loftin’s drums. Sure, the guitars get noisy again, but Drawing Effect manages to hold the tune to just where it needs to be in its psychedelic pocket.

“Gun” certainly shows off this band’s Stooges influence; it’s a straight-ahead rocker. Rhythm guitar plows through “Real Thing,” reminding me of The Clash, while “Same Thing” showcases Spadaro’s distorted bass and sets one of the better grooves here…on an album that certainly grooves very well throughout.

A picked electric under Baker doing his best Jagger, starts the overdriven “Rockskipper,” the last tune on Techniculture. I’m not sure if the trio left the best for last, but this tune is great. Loud, too noisy for its own good, Loftin rumbling through the beat, and the band at times sounding like they are going to lose their way completely, this is a perfect mess ender to a collection of brilliant rocking 10 tunes.