Style: alt rock
Label: self released
Year: 2010
Home: New York & New Jersey
Members: Patric A. V. ~ vocals/guitar
Jon Lorusso ~ guitar
Andy Vos ~ drums
Joe Colasurdo ~ bass
Additional: Uncle Mike DePatria ~ piano
Though the comparison may not be quite right ... listening to this four song EP featuring the songs "Naughty Things", "Deceptively Real", "Dueling Thoughts" & "I Hate My Life I Love My Life" the deep droning almost slurred vocals that drool over the microphone, against a vibrant bassline off on a contrasting happy journey with distorted guitars moving between little melodic figures & chords brings me back to the moodier end of New Order & the Smiths. Now, ignore that ... the vocals sound very different than these examples & I might have very well wrote that they reek of the same depression of Gary Numan, a creature of a much different order than Morrissey though they're both moody misfits. There's certainly no pop keyboards like New Order & though the guitars might be more akin to the style of Johnny Marr than the sound, while the bassline could come out of Elvis Costello's Attractions. But, PK is far from being as quirky or polished as any of these cited bands. PK have also been described by their producer, New Jersey punk legend Marty Munsch, as Joy Division like. As fair as any other band I've listed in trying to describe their sound. But, it certainly should be obvious that PK are, deliberate or accidentally, culling from the family tree of the post-punk 80's when depression ruled lyrics. Unlike the cited bands, there's not a lot of variety in these four tracks. PK is the creation of guitarist/vocalist Patrick A. V. with PK's 2009 self-titled debut being only him.
Insides is the follow-up & the first to feature a full band. Three of these tracks are reworkings from Patrick's initial sessions left off the debut. With a full band PK has pretty much found a sound that's liked & stay tightly within the box. But, with only four songs the album goes by a little fast while the songs become a little blurred as they all have the same feeling. It doesn't really show us what PK can do nor how far they're willing to take their sound. Though, it should be noted that this is a sharp difference, let alone a major improvement, from PK's debut. It's still Andrew's moody vocals but them the guitar was overdriven & sloppy against electronic drums. That sounded more like an independent release of scattered songs while
Insides is quite cohesive, flowing & has a strong distinctive personality & overall mood, let alone the better production is quite noticeable.
Insides feels like something distinctive. The debut feels like a bedroom release that's here & there. I'd be interested in hearing the debut reworked by this new line-up. The real secret for
Insides, making it worth hearing, is that the twin guitars have been given almost a droning backing role against a vibrant rhythm section that was a missing texture on the debut & the glue that keeps this album interesting.
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