Written
by Mike Yoder, posted by blog admin
Rejectionist
Front has scored some important appearances on compilation recordings and
shared the same stages as legendary acts like George Clinton and P-Funk, Joan
Baez, and Tom Morello, among others in an obvious confirmation of their growing
status in the modern music world. Their music doesn’t necessarily remake the
wheel, but it takes up the mantle of intelligent hard rock and adds distinctive
multi-part vocals to their songwriting mix that set them apart from the pack. They
also share the rare distinction of never overextending things the way some acts
in this vein do – instead, Rejectionist Front specializes in songs that never
run on too long yet contain a vast musical world within relatively contained
space. Evolve is a wildly expressive and musically satisfying ride that their
existing fans will embrace and new listeners will admire a great deal.
The
album begins with “Ride” and it’s one of the near anthems on Evolve from a band
who could likely turn out “call to arms” songs in their sleep. The passion
coming across through Michael Perlman’s singing and the backing vocals from
bassist Tony Tino and guitarist Lincoln Prout play an important role in
planting this first song deep in listener’s memories. The near progressive
guitar textures of this first cut give way to a clearer rock and roll edge from
the second tune “All I Am” and it’s much more of a vocal performance resting on
Perlman’s back with strategically placed secondary singing along the way. This
is one of the rhythm section’s best performances from Evolve and has a
free-wheeling, barnstorming quality that the band revisits and refines in later
tunes as well. Rejectionist Front’s strong lyrics stand out on the third song “Savior”
and the vocals enhance them quite a bit with their fierce yet musically aware
phrasing. Prout’s guitar work makes a number of songs on Evolve soar higher
than they perhaps might have with a lesser player, yet has a sense of restraint
uncommon to lead players in this genre that strengthens the song’s impact.
There’s
a slightly lighter air surrounding the track “All Is the Same” and Perlman’s
voice recalls Eddie Vedder’s delivery, but never slavishly. There’s some great
backing vocals too that dovetails well with the near jangle that Prout’s guitar
adopts for significant periods of the song. They toy with another near anthem
on the album’s sixth song “Reclaim” but, as before, Rejectionist Front stays
away from the sort of histrionics typifying most songs of this type. The
personal stakes informing the band’s socially conscious material is one of the
factors that set them apart from many of their generation. Prout’s six string
playing is especially good on this song. The single “Flush” has been accorded a
video as well and there’s a strongly commercial quality to the song that makes
it one of the more appealing cuts on Evolve. The second to last song on the
album, “Resurrection”, has a wildly inventive arrangement that plays well in
its spartan and heavier iterations. Their mastery of bringing dynamics into
their songs is notable from the opening to beginning of Evolve and there’s not
a moment of filler to be found on the band’s second studio release.
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