Tension is one of the defining characteristics of Dog, the second LP from San Francisco-based garage rockers Stella Royale. Bands like The Pixies used musical tension – dissonant chords, crooked rhythmic patterns and dynamic variation – to enhance their songs, and Stella Royale attempts similar effects here with varying degrees of success.
John Spaw’s guitar work, for example, ranges from a tranquilized James Blunt to a coked-out Jack White. However, his vocals are invariably mellow. (We’re talking Chris Martin mellow.) The band even breaks out into an Eagles-esque refrain of “oooooh oooooh” on “What Matters,” a choice that reflects the song’s decidedly power-pop sound.
They save one of their strongest tracks for last with “Plays with Dolls,” on which the tension manifests in Spaw’s crooning as he treads the line between his natural and falsetto voice. The technique’s straining effect draws the listener in. Dynamic and stylistic incongruities also come into play halfway through this otherwise calm number when the electric guitar unleashes an out of control, blues-rock solo like a repressed memory bursting forth from a traumatized mental patient. This is the kind of quirk that keeps Stella Royale exciting.
Some of the tunes don’t work, and it’s because the band overextends its lyrical abilities. One particularly distracting line from “Cracking Up” reads, “Unfold my eyes / Trade in my guts / I wish you weren’t cracking up.” A worthy sentiment is no doubt expressed here, but there’s an unfortunate Nip/Tuck overtone that makes the chorus especially awkward.
Though Stella Royale doesn’t always manage to merge its obviously diverse artistic influence into a cohesive whole, it often does and thus shows potential for greatness. Also impressive is the sheer variety of sounds that this quartet produces, a feature that clearly owes much to the contributions of keyboardist/bassist David Craig and wind-player Kat Cornelius. One hopes that the occasionally schizophrenic feel of this album is evidence of artistic originality rather than a lack of focus. (Self-released)
www.stellaroyalemusic.com
-Ryan Faughnder
