Ten Kens recent double A-Side single showed
off the Toronto based 4-piece’s versatility and ability
to borrow stylistic traits from their influences and make them
their own. Shifting from an angsty and bombastic breed of downtuned
post-punk through to dreamy, psyche drenched indie-pop, it was
one of the indie-rock singles of the Spring and whet the appetite
for the full length. After the single, good things were expected
from the full length but never did one suspect the quality and
consistency of this self titled release. A deep understanding
of their instruments coupled with intelligent and brooding arrangements
have made for a fiery debut that exudes a class reserved for bands
far more advanced in their lifeline. The Ten Kens sound is a melting
pot of rock ideologies from across the globe and from across the
last 4 decades. Fusing indie-pop, post-punk, math-rock and West-coat
psychedelica, typically all in the same track, the results are
constantly engaging and lead to consist head-bobbing. The release
naturally possesses a widescreen sense of drama that pervades
the entire album thanks to an underlying sound steeped in an off-kilter
brand of Americana- the tracks jangling with a dark and expansive
vibe akin to that captured so vividly in Nick Cave and Warren
Ellis’ ‘The Proposition’ film score.
On ‘Downcome Home’, the very
essence of 70’s ‘Technicolor’ Americana is captured
by way of spritely plucked acoustic guitar strums, a sound that
is propped up by a beefy wall of rolling bass and deep, high-tempo
percussion. Vocalist, Dan Workman howls with unrestrained abandon,
rousing listeners with his semi-melodic chants. ‘Refined’
on the other hand takes us on a wonderful detour to murky swamplands
with its sweaty brand of tribal drumming, high-frequency guitar
drones and Eastern-melodics before settling into a stirring display
of instrumental post-punk. This raw, garage-rock dynamic comes
into play frequently throughout the album and the post-punk pounding
of ‘Spanish Fly’ complete with Workman’s yelping
throatwork will have you jumping around hysterically to a sound
that eerily comes across like early Deftones meets Of Montreal.
On the second half of the album, proceedings are kept fresh and
interesting thanks to the versatility of the four-pieces sound
and their ability to extract the very best stylistic traits from
their boundless influences. From the dirgey alt.rock and spiraling
melodics of ‘Worthless & Oversimplified Ideas’
to the angular math-rock of ‘The Whore of Revelation’
which combines a Shellac-esque melodic furor within a post-metal
dynamic, Ten Ken’s consistently impress. The drunken Slint-ish
melody meandering throughout the eerie, shifting soundscapes of
‘Your Kids Will Know’ is a highlight of the album,
and the energetic, DIY garage-punk approach will no-doubt make
this a live favourite and future classic.
This release showcases an extremely fresh
and vibrant sound produced by Ten Kens, a sound that continuously
crunches with a raw edginess and a degree of reckless abandon,
a sound that is steeped in melody and glorious atmospherics and
ultimately, a sound that’s wound up into stirring and rabble-rousing
arrangements. (RM)
For fans of: Liars, The For Carnation,The Get Hustle,
TV on the Radio, YouthmovIe Soundtrack Strategies
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