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The New Siberians
The New Siberians
Independent
"I don't write my songs at all/Like the way that you do,"
sings The New Siberians' Brandon Devitt. He's not kidding. This Burlington,
Vermont trio which is comprised of former members of Go To Blazes and
the Ninja Custodians, are one of those rare bands that aren't afraid
to throw conventional songwriting principles aside and take big chances.
That being said, The New Siberians' strategy is to bury themselves under
inventive arrangements and then see if they can climb back out. The
thing is, they always do. Filled with big, melodic rockers ("Seeds
& Stems" and "Hearts") catchy mid-tempo numbers ("Hearts")
and irresistible acoustic tracks ("Colorblind") the band's
debut is an enervating brand of American rock and roll. Elsewhere, "Star"
brings to mind a more muscular Crowded House; "Happy Again"
is a crunchy blast of harmonic bombast and "Vulture" has an
unbeatable bluesy swagger. With a cast of supporting musicians who throw
in doses of saxophone, mandolin, violin and whatever else comes to mind
(Bob Higgins' billed contribution is "secret guitars"), The
New Siberians is a truly engaging listen. What makes this band so special
is that even when the hooks are direct, like on "Gasoline"
there's always a presiding musical chaos that makes every track layered
in intriguing sonic complexity.
-- Alex Green
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