The Sour Notes – It’s Not Gonna Be Pretty

There’s an episode of the reality show Survivor I once saw where the contestants had to stand on a fence for as long as they could. Whoever stayed up the longest was the winner and, for that episode, safe from elimination. Now, picture a fence, marking the boundary between catchy pop on one side, and intelligent indie rock on the other. Imagine a band playing on top of that fence, for an entire album. And that’s sort of what it’s like listening to It’s Not Gonna Be Pretty, the fourth album from Austin’s The Sour Notes.

In a way, the approach works; the album is safe from criticism. There’s nothing terribly offensive about it, there’s nothing that I can say needs vastly improved, or anything in particular that will make people scream, “turn that noise off!” But at the same time, there’s really nothing that’s going to make people come back for more. Where the album loses me is that it seems to drift back and forth between spaced-out, reverb-filled slow jams and semi-noisy guitar rock, without ever really committing to either. I couldn’t help wishing that they’d reached farther in the directions they were going.

On “It’s the Hair That Makes the Dress Chic,” the band hints at unleashing some furious punk as it builds up the outro, but never makes it happen. On the opening track, “Beyond Recognition,” they almost take the song from sparse minimalism to overwhelming symphonic joy, but stop just short. “Familiar Presence” almost becomes an homage to ’80s pop, but instead sounds like the lost recordings from a-ha’s studio sessions.

That’s not to say there aren’t some good tunes on this album. “Time Will Tell” starts off with catchy chords and a slightly detuned lead guitar riff, progresses into solid feedback at the chorus, and then uses heavy effects processing and orchestral arrangements in a slowed down finale. This is great songwriting and intelligent use of studio production. “A Cute Little Ruin” is simple and beautiful, with haunting vocals and the lyrics “I want to stay young/ Enough to feel your arms around/ Enough to tell you afterwards/ That I believe you’re good” building to a crescendo that is powerful and moving.

The Sour Notes have had four releases since 2008, and continue to gain momentum going in the right direction. I see them as a band still finding its voice. If they take the best parts of It’s Not Gonna Be Pretty and continue moving forward, this album will be seen as significant in the context of their overall growth, but not incredibly strong on its own.

Tagged as: Austin, pop/rock

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.