http://www.seersayer.com/5/post/2012/01/psychic-teens-teen.html
/Michael Wood/
“Teen” is the first LP by Philadelphia dark hearts, Psychic Teens. The album was released by Golden Voyage Records on beautifully bare black and white colored vinyl, a plus for any record colector, but of course it is also available for download on for the digitally minded folks, via bandcamp.com. I believe, however, this album was meant for vinyl, due to the fact that tracks one through four and five through seven have vastly different moods. Side A wastes no time in delivery, and burst out like an 80s’ b-movie score to a knife fight. I could see these songs fitting well on the soundtracks of Suburbia (1983, not 1996) or Repo Man. The Teens have the post punk dissonant delivery of Birthday Party, but with the urgency of Black Flag, and vocalist Larry Ragone has the command of Iggy Pop yet the coldness of Ian Curtis.
“Teen” is the first LP by Philadelphia dark hearts, Psychic Teens. The album was released by Golden Voyage Records on beautifully bare black and white colored vinyl, a plus for any record colector, but of course it is also available for download on for the digitally minded folks, via bandcamp.com. I believe, however, this album was meant for vinyl, due to the fact that tracks one through four and five through seven have vastly different moods. Side A wastes no time in delivery, and burst out like an 80s’ b-movie score to a knife fight. I could see these songs fitting well on the soundtracks of Suburbia (1983, not 1996) or Repo Man. The Teens have the post punk dissonant delivery of Birthday Party, but with the urgency of Black Flag, and vocalist Larry Ragone has the command of Iggy Pop yet the coldness of Ian Curtis.
Side B takes a romantic turn into goth slumber-land, while still keeping the raw power (stooges pun intended) of the first half, just replacing anger with desperation. With shoegazy guitars and a more careful delivery, the second side proves the teens to be a versatile yet cohesive band, sounding like a mix between Bauhaus and a pissed off version version of The Cure (somewhere between Pornography and Disintegration). The eight minute closer, “Rose”, an epic and emotive tune, is by far their most moving and powerful song, and leaves this listener very excited that there are bands like Psychic Teens out there.
The Teens remind me of a time when music was either tame or dangerous. You either listened to the radio, or you were someone other kids weren’t allowed to hang out with. You can’t take Psychic Teens home to Mom.
The Teens remind me of a time when music was either tame or dangerous. You either listened to the radio, or you were someone other kids weren’t allowed to hang out with. You can’t take Psychic Teens home to Mom.
