Like many others, the members of Palette Knife — vocalist/guitarist Alec Licata, bassist Chris McGrath and drummer Aaron Queener — had been caught at house enjoying video video games throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. However whereas most simply used their consoles to move the time, Palette Knife stumbled upon what would develop into a key inspiration for his or her subsequent report, the aptly titled New Recreation+.
On their second album, the Columbus, Ohio emo band makes use of the metaphor of a online game as an instance the nervousness, loneliness and insecurity that the pandemic years introduced.
“The conceptual story of the report is that we’re trapped inside this online game,” Licata tells SPIN. “Every track represents a boss that we’re having to overcome, and every of these bosses represents totally different fears and anxieties that you must overcome to develop as an individual.”
“All of us love video video games a lot, and this band is all about having an outlet for issues that we’re enthusiastic about,” Queener provides.
Except for being a enjoyable method for the band to current heavy concepts, it additionally permits the rising band to proceed doing what they do finest: rocking out. Palette Knife has been making a mark on the Columbus DIY scene since 2018 with their hanging rawness and catharsis, however ever since their first album, 2020’s Ponderosa Snake Home, the band have been laser-focused on bettering their songcraft. For New Recreation+, that meant pushing themselves to make extra complicated and progressive songs, whereas additionally incorporating extra considerate storytelling and emotional arcs.
“We had been like ‘How can we take a look at ourselves?’” McGrath says. “It’s cool, since you try this and also you’re afraid. ‘What if I can’t do that?’ However then you definately determine it out collectively.”
Album highlights like “Jelly Boi” and “Quotients” exhibit the band’s potent musical chops with time signature modifications, various tempos and mathy riffs. Lyrically, Licata peppers witty references to Dungeons & Dragons, Avatar: The Final Airbender and video games like Darkish Souls and Future 2 all through poetic and heartbreaking musings on outdated flames burning out and nights spent laying alone on the ground. But because the tracklist progresses, some mild shines by means of the cracks. On the penultimate “Fuckin’ A#,” Licata is set to maintain constructing a greater life — with out giving up on the online game references. “I’ll respawn,” he vows on the track’s finish.
“If loneliness is the backdrop, change and development are these little pockets unfold all through,” Licata explains.
“Generally I take heed to ‘Fuckin’ A#’ and it nearly brings me to tears,” Queener provides. “The expressiveness that [Licata] brings within the bridge, particularly… It’s such as you’re lastly coming alive.”
The way in which through which Palette Knife blends an unabashed celebration of their nerdiest passions with relatable and transferring songwriting has additionally earned them a deep reference to followers.
“I feel the authenticity actually comes by means of,” Licata says. “I really feel like quite a lot of our regulars join with our music in a method the place it seems like they know us as individuals and as mates. We’ll meet followers at reveals and speak about music for like two minutes, after which we’ll simply speak about video video games. I don’t need to should placed on a distinct kind of hat or something. I would like individuals to know that it’s their buddy Alec onstage.”
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The publish Palette Knife Ranges Up With <i>New Recreation+</i> appeared first on SPIN.
