The Technicolors – Listener

Rating:

We always enjoy finding a surprise in our own backyard, so for those of us in the Arizona office of Little Rat Bastard stumbling across The Technicolors was just the thirst quenching thing we needed to kick of a long hot summer.

The Phoenix foursome that make up The Technicolors need to be heard to truly be appreciated, and they’re making it easy for you with the release of their latest album, ‘Listener’. If you’ve been looking for some real music from real musicians to get a break form the all the crap that gets forced on us by corporate radio, this is it. The Technicolors deliver with an album loaded with vocal power, upbeat rhythms, and the staple of good rock music raw guitar awesomeness. ‘Listener’ is eleven tracks of music that will remind you of the classics while being wholly brand new and built for today.

The Technicolors have a raw garage rock style with touch of British invasion polish and often bear similarities The Charlatans in their Beggars Banquet years. Kicking ‘Listener’ off is “Again” which will immediately reenforces my interpretation of their sound with its peppy hook and melodic flow. It’s the second track, “Sweet Time” that really shows how this band can shine, it’s the kind of track I imagine blaring out of the car windows on a warm summer night while whipping down the road. The guitar riffs of “Sweet Time” almost challenge you to go fast, fight harder, and overall just keep on rockin’. “Alive Ever After” has the makings of a blockbuster film’s soundtrack leader in it’s tone, harmonies, and effortlessly entrapping vocals. Later in the album, “Hollywood” stands out with it’s pleasantly jarring attack and release riffs and rhythm. “Hollywood” is the kind of track that lets you know that these guys are not just a cookie cutter band of this or that, they’ve got what it takes to not only get your attention but hold it there until they are through with you.

On the softer side, “Fake A Smile” with it’s piano accompaniment and delicately driving beat show that The Technicolors are more than bold and brash. This gentler sound is much more clearly defined by the album’s title track, “Listener” and on “Noah,” it’s here that the band really slows things down displays not only their versatility but also some real writing chops.

‘Listener’ closes on a sublime cover of Chris Isaak’s 1990 hit “Wicked Game” and although it can be heard as a straight up cover of the song it feels like a love letter to the original with a vocal style reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright.

The Technicolors seem primed to go places fast and ‘Listener’ sounds like it’s just the vehicle to get them there. The Arizona desert may seem to many like a desolate place with nothing to offer but you couldn’t be more wrong, the desert rocks, and it does with a little help from The Technicolors.

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