The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina - Little King and the Salamander (demos)

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What Fools We Can Be,” the second song in the 14-track collection of buzzing ballads and righteously rhythmic rockers that is The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina’s new album Little King and the Salamander (demos), isn’t the only slow song that we’ll hear in this retro-style indie fantasy, but its lightly overdriven guitar grooves will make it one of the more memorable along with the chilling “Fade into the Night,” which sets us up for the closing jazz wails of “I Have Always Been Here” better than any other tune could have. In songs like these, as well as the contrition-soaked crooning of “Slip Away (Dreamin’ Again),” the Gallagher brothers-esque “She’ll Do Anything,” and the midcentury melancholy of “I’ll Be (Kisses at Your Door),” we get to experience the acoustic prowess of The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina in a way that I never would have imagined finding on an album allegedly comprised of demo tracks exclusively. The balladic harmonies that these recordings offer us are unlike any other that you’re going to hear this season, and confirm what most critics (myself included) already knew about this deeply talented group of musicians.

The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina doesn’t fail to cut loose just enough to satisfy fans of their edgier stuff in Little King and the Salamander (demos), and ascribe themselves to the experimental rock category in songs like “White Light and Lullabies,” “Particle Craze,” “Definitely Not My Underwear,” the eponymous “The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina” (ironically the one song that I found to be the least cohesive with this entire set) and the agitated “Jeepers Creepers,” which is one of my favorite songs of theirs to date. They got off the rails-eccentric in a couple of instances, but to be perfectly frank, I think that this band wears the crazy look in alternative rock better than almost anyone else in their scene does. A lot of artists have been trying to “go old school” in the past 15 years – from garish indie acts like Wolfmother to more erudite crews like Dead Meadow – but I don’t think I’ve ever heard another band that exploits the framework of tradition with the same honest gusto that these guys do every time they get into the studio. If these really are demos, I can’t imagine how potent a performance The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina could put on if they had an unlimited budget to record with.

Whether it’s their hot harmonies or their ice cold groovers, Little King and the Salamander (demos) has got fans of The Merrymaker’s Orchestrina covered this year with 14 songs that you aren’t soon to forget. There’s a ton of good music scheduled to make delivery in both the underground and the mainstream this spring, but I plan on keeping this staple of 2018 spinning on my stereo well into the summer. There are very few bands that evoke the vivid imagery that these cats can just by laying into a righteously vintage riff, and for what I look for in a modern alternative unit, they meet pretty much every expectation I could have as both a critic and a fan.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/7b4BcRDjTTaHhvoJ0I0Mgi

Benjamin Gross

Victor PEDRO’s “Call Me, I Miss Ya!”

Within the thick, resonating grasp of a sultry bassline, Victor PEDRO’s voice elegantly penetrates the pristine instrumental backdrop of his new single “Call Me, I Miss Ya!,” a track that is quickly becoming one of the most discussed among underground releases this spring. PEDRO will stop at nothing in his quest to make us feel every ounce of the emotion occupying his heart in this song, and while the beats are inarguably the most spellbinding element in the track, they’re hardly the only reason to give this single a really close look this season, regardless of your familiarity with the artist’s work.

The reggae influences in PEDRO’s sound are only subtly referenced in “Call Me, I Miss Ya!,” but they play enough of a role in the construction of the song’s core aesthetic that they’re highly noticeable to both the expert music critic and the untrained ear alike. The vocal is smooth, sexy and riddled with a Caribbean swing that adds to the texture of the lyrics tremendously. The bass is as big and bad as they come, but it’s not so cool as to reject a little old school Dancehall flavor in its strut. PEDRO has a lot of different elements working in synchronicity here, but it never feels like he’s dealing with an overly ambitious setup.

Percussion is always a key component in getting people’s hips swaying, and “Call Me, I Miss Ya!” isn’t devoid of a devastatingly handsome beat, driven by nothing short of a blustery, well-defined drum set. The grooves are larger than life, but they don’t steal the attention away from the vocal track at all. The mix is careful to share the spotlight amongst all of the individual parts in the song, and even when there’s one element grabbing you over another, it’s never long before it’s joined by a litany of other textures originating from other places in the track.

There’s little adrenaline in this single – if any at all – but I wouldn’t say that the rhythm of the song is the least bit pendulous. The grooves are really lively and rich with organic vitality, but from start to finish, PEDRO’s relaxed attitude influences the pace of the music more than anything else does. His verses are spot-on as far as timing goes, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that this is his most confident and sleekly arranged material so far.

It’s been six years since Victor PEDRO made his debut, and he’s not showing any signs of slowing down at all in his most recent release, which should be considered one of his best yet. There’s not a lot demanded of us in “Call Me, I Miss Ya!” other than a sliver of our attention, and in exchange for this, PEDRO rewards his audience with a cultured hip-hop experience that is far and away more engaging than virtually anything that his American counterparts and closest rivals in the Old World are producing at the moment. He’s still got a ways to go before he can break out of the underground, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Levi Campbell