Unlike the past couple bands I’ve reviewed, A Place To Bury Strangers might have too much going on in their songs.
The Brooklyn-based noise rock trio follows in the footsteps of such groups as Jesus and the Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and Nine Inch Nails.
But on Exploding Head, the group’s second and most recent full-length album, all that distortion belies some pretty solid hooks that conjure up memories of The Cure, Joy Division and U2.
From the beginning of the first single, “In Your Heart”, you can’t help but think of Bono and the boys. Then it fades into some White Lies and Joy Division sounds. The next track, “Lost Feeling”, is something of a continuation but without the glaring U2 influence.
My favorite song, “Keep Slipping Away”, had more of the White Lies vibe, but there was also a nice mix of Cure-style guitar.
“Smile When You Smile” and the title track each use a nice keyboard beat and some faster drums to pick up the pace a bit. The latter song also has some more of that U2 and Cure feeling.
On the album’s closer, “I Lived My Life To Stand In the Shadow of Your Heart”, it might be hard to detect underneath all the distortion, but the vocals are definitely reminiscent of Morrissey.
Overall, I’m not fawning over A Place To Bury Strangers — it’s just too much noise and distortion. But I will definitely hold on to a few of their tracks.
You can hear 10 songs on their MySpace page or watch some videos and listen to a few tracks at their official website.
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