SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALLEY OF THE DOLLS – URETHANE

ALLEY OF THE DOLLS
URETHANE
INDEPENDENT

Alley Of The Dolls are cousins Jacob Stephenson and Adam Pickering. They make a huge sound for just a duo. Their sound is heavy, with lots of guitars and a powerful rhythm section. Yet, as heavy as the songs are, they also write very melodic songs. After teasing their audience with three singles (one of which appears on this EP), the band has released their debut EP, Urethane, and it more than lives up to expectations.

The EP opens with the very heavy “Broken Skies”. It is a perfect way to introduce the listener to the EP, getting people ready for what is to come. Again, as hard as it is, it is extremely well arranged and full of melodic hooks. This leads nicely into the second track, a slower, yet heavy song, “Teardrop”. It shows that this duo can do many things and they are not trapped in one sound or genre. It oozes sleaze as it intends to, as it is a song about a predator. The music is, again, embracing and inviting. Which is odd, given the subject matter. The vocals are particularly strong in this song. The third track is the previously released “Lower East Side”. Having spent a great deal of time in The Lower East Side of New York City, they capture the grit of the area perfectly. It sits comfortably on the EP and fits perfectly with the other tracks.

“Ecliptic Plane” borders on 1990s grunge. But in Alley Of The Dolls hands, it strays into other areas, including mid-1970s prog rock. It is a fantastic exploration into the inner psyche and the music matches perfectly. And all too soon, Urethane comes to an end with the “Polyamory”. A heavy and dense rocker to end the album. The sudden ending of the song bookends the EP perfectly.

Alley Of The Dolls are very talented and have come up with some very new sounds based on their apparent knowledge of rock from the 1970s to now. This is not to say that they borrow sounds, styles, or songs, because they don’t. They have created their own sound, much like Metallica did. But they do have the sensibility and vibe of older styles and music and it works. Not only does it work, it is very welcome in today’s musical climate. Urethane is an EP of well-constructed, written and performed songs.

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