Curbside Journal
Big drums, punching bass, rollicking guitars. Distortion and melody, piano and harmony. Curbside Journal are a rock band in ever sense of the word, rocking out to a degree that sugarcoats the pill of a debut release. From the drum roll and guitar fuzz of the opening seconds on “The Fall That’s Coming” through the final droning chords of “Tribute” Pacific Standard Time pleases the ear. Barksdale and Fedorekno switch vocals and shuttle between harmonies with a delicate precision and a nagging somberness that frame Curbside Journal’s sound and give it an identity. The self reflecting qualities of songs like “Left Alone In the Dark” quickly become addictive, every track luring you toward the REPEAT button, tempting you to ignore the others. Each song contains both tonal and rhythmic dynamics unrivaled by any debut releases in recent memory. Martin’s drumming and Raumann’s bass work shift between time signatures freely and independently of each other and the guitars while maintaining a uniform vibe throughout the song.
I really can’t say enough good things about this record. It isn’t often that a band comes along and simply makes me think of rock music without any accompanying tags. There are no math or emo or lo-fi disguises covering Curbside Journal’s music.
-Eric J Herboth
