Making a debut as a fresh new outfit, members of Sleepy Kitty, Harvey Danger and Say Yes Do Nothing are coming together from across the pond to reignite old sounds and showcase new perspectives. With experience under their belt, they experiment with a cinematic sense of alternative rock and pop. Comprised of Paige Brubeck, Evan Sult, Dave Eastman and Len Bendel, the four-piece release ‘Drop A Coin’ under the guise of The Open Flames.
The track starts with a fizzing bass line and a gently plodding slice of classic rock guitar. Poetic vocals take hold, finding the balance between natural, singular layers and a haunting double-track, further echoed with eerily angelic harmonies.
The metaphor of “paying a tithe to a blind girl sitting at the Gates of Hell”, is used to evoke a feeling of hesitation and unease. All the while, the noir continues to grow darker, melancholy moving forward and a restrained evil rising up through the grates. Capturing, pained, but confident in narrative delivery, it’s a strong first outing.
“The studio is where we get to lose ourselves, ditch the rest of the world, and make unreal things real,” says drummer Evan. “We were playing the hell out of our instruments, and then Duncan [Thornley, engineer at London’s MAP Studio] was playing the whole studio itself as an instrument. ‘Drop a Coin’ was the perfect example of that. It was the ideal way to dream an album to life.”