Song titles catch my eye right away when I am looking at a band's Purevolume page. Two kinds of titles tend to grab my attention almost immediately: the bizarre and the awkward. In the case of alternative punk band Settle, their song titles could be summed up by both descriptors, so I was really curious as to what kind of music they create. Their tunes turned out to be just as intriguing as their titles. "Naked at a Family Function" is a dark, alt rock jam with a new wave vibe that shines with guitar riff greatness. There is not much instrumental variation in the arrangement of the song. The verses have a specific, repeated instrumentation as well as the chorus, making the song uniform and easy to follow. The same lusciously catchy guitar riffs are repeated giving it consistency. I like this song because I can count on the fact that I will hear my favorite parts multiple times during the song. It's an interesting format.
"Affinity for My Hometown" resonates with hometown pride. Its sentimental theme makes it feel like an anthem for a homesick band on tour. The universal feeling featured in the song is punctuated with sentiments particular to the band members, which makes it very personal. "When I die, just bury me in the backyard," is the lyric that made me love Settle. This song is a win for me because I like the way the subject matter is presented, and the percussion sounds absolutely killer.
"I Saw an Inferno Once" features more infectious guitar riffs. The vocals are intense and somewhat monotone, which proves appropriate for the serious lyrics. The transitions into the verses are crisp, and the busy sound of the instrumental parts go well with the energetic vocals. This song packs quite the punch as far as establishing a specific vibe goes.
Settle made me a fan because their songs are all very different, from lyrics to instrumentation and chord progressions to arrangement. I recommend them to fans of Dr. Manhattan and Halifax.
Check out Settle's video for their song "Murder." What do you think of them? Comment this post and let me know your opinion! Feedback is always appreciated and welcomed.
Thank you for reading. Shuffle on.
Photo Credit: http://www.purevolume.com/settle/photos/2563297
I love Epitaph records! I saw that this band is on their label?
ReplyDeleteI got excited when I saw that too! There are so many good bands on that label. A really great band I reviewed a while ago called The Weakerthans is on Epitaph as well. Small world :)
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