Before I start with the serious business here, I want to take a look back in time so you guys can understand how excited I am to be typing this. It was late 2014 when I first heard about The Technicolors, an Arizona alternative-rock band who had just been announced as the new addition of a bunch of people I have admired since I was a teenager, the 8123 family. It wasn’t really until 2015, when they released the Ultraviolet Disguise EP that I deeply fell in love with their music.
For a girl who grew up being constantly fascinated by the British music scene and hooked on the sounds of 90’s alternative bands overall, to be able to share these tracks with my close friends and see them like their sounds just as much as I do is beyond incredible. That’s why today I’m not only excited, but really proud to be talking about The Technicolors’ new album.
Metaphysical is a 12-track album – a compilation of thoughts about here and there, the places you’ve been and the places you want to go. It explores grungy, buzzy, brit-rock-ish sounds.
“Neon Roses” is the opening track of the album. Kicking it off with a buzzy kinda grunge-y guitar riff followed by the first single the band released, “Lilies for Lily,” both tracks mark the sound of the album as a bit more noisy than their previous material, showcasing what the band is capable of doing live.
| “We crammed in hotel rooms, slept on floors, and lost a lot of money. But those were the days that defined my love for playing music in a live setting, and the grip it has on me.”
When asked about how their journey as a band has been, and the things that have shaped them, lead vocalist Brennan Smiley shares with us: “I think the thing that has defined our band the most is the road. When we started, we had been jumping around Arizona, playing in any bars and clubs we could find, but for some reason it didn’t feel real until we started booking our own tours. We’d just cold call places and let ’em know we’d be coming through, and ask if we could play. At one point we booked a 2-month US tour completely ourselves. We crammed in hotel rooms, slept on floors, and lost a lot of money. But those were the days that defined my love for playing music in a live setting, and the grip it has on me.”
A heavy start comes from track “Fever Bomb” which is one of my personal favorites from the record; a strong bass line, defiant lyrics and the always powerful tone of Smiley’s vocals, this one is definitely one of the outstanding tracks on the record.
“Is it so wrong…that I’m barely hanging on?”
“Fall Off The Moon” stole the biggest smile from me within the first few seconds. This one was actually heard for the first time on a remix featured on the band’s Sweat EP last summer. I personally think this one can be taken in a couple different perspectives, and whatever that one is, the lyrics can serve as a metaphor to express those feelings.
Fuzzy and funkier mixed with a bit of The Strokes kinda feel, “Congratulations, You’re A Doll” made a lot of buzz since it was released as a single. Followed by fast-paced “Valedictorian” these two show how the band’s musical influences allowed them to create a sound of their own, and one that makes them stand out and shine for sure.
More upbeat tracks such as “Motives” and “26 on a Tuesday” kinda remind me a bit of the early days of Rooney, and these two tracks provide a good shift of mood compared to the heavier ones on the album. Quite the perfect mix. Actually, I like a lot the theme behind the latter track since it subtly discusses the stress and the emotions that go through your head once you’re past your twenties.
The track “Sweat” also comes from the band’s Sweat EP. This track screams summer in every way, a track with a catchy composition and lyrics that can be related to the feeling when you just can’t get someone out of your head.
“You’re an acquired heart, you’re not for everyone…”
“Little Charmer” was the second single from the band prior to the album release. This one is, without a doubt, my favorite track of all. This garage-brit-rock track is meant to resonate with those who always feel like they’re the “last ones to the party.”
Following Brennan’s statement above, and before we get to the final track, here’s some words on what the band thinks that defines them the most: “Our work is mapped out, designed and captured in the studio, but the stage is where the songs come to life for the first time, and where they grow, evolve, and ultimately become real. I’d say that’s one of the main elements that defines this band, and keeps us going. It’s where we get to live out this in-studio fiction that we’ve dreamed up and layed down and see it come alive, over and over again.”
Closer track, “Metaphysical,” is a heavy, demanding one that absolutely deserves to be played as loud as it can. This serves as the perfect culmination for the record, an album that exposes The Technicolors for who they are as a band along with the motivation and passion that drives them to keep on creating.
To say that I’m far beyond proud of this band would be an absolute understatement. They put their heart and soul into this and created an album that represents them just perfectly, speaking to the personal matters of life in a very interesting yet relatable way.
METAPHYSICAL is out now.
