Finding a band with a genuine sound is a difficult task to accomplish these days. It seems everyone is consumed with breaking out of the mold or worried about whose song is better than whose.  Artists often times destroy their original sound to accommodate what the music industry wants their music to be.  The love of a genuine song has been lost, and indie-rock band Paleface tries to cultivate that lost love with their newest album release, One Big Party. With their mix of rusty guitar chords, simple drum beats, and upbeat vocals band leader Paleface, along with girlfriend drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot, bring love back into the music.

 Paleface strides confidently forward with his humble sound.  While touring with his drummer girlfriend, Mo, and friends in the band The Avett Brothers, Paleface took inspiration from life on the road and implanted it into the new album, a rich mix of high spirited tunes and raspy vocals to add an addicting and contrasting sound to the album. The infectious song “Rock and Roll” was inspired by the “like a rock” floor mats in the Chevy they toured in. Singing in an easy, sandpaper voice, “I’m like a rock/ Would you roll me?”   “I Wanna Travel” tells the story of moving on from the bad times in the past to further a future of self-discovery. 

Paleface conveys a strong message of the value of hearty, uncomplicated songs by using light hearted melodies which transcend today’s valueless radio hits and synthesized voices.  Songs like “She’s So,” demonstrate this message; where the gritty guitar piece can be felt all the way down to the core of your soul and hard vocals make you feel like you are in the room during an eclectic rock jam session.  

Despite the strong message, there are a few elements that are lacking.  Paleface tried hard to stick to an up-beat tone throughout the album to keep with the “less is more” theme, but in doing so, a few songs seem to miss the mark. Take the deep, yet ethereal title track, for example. Inspired by the sad story of a drunken woman Paleface found in a laundry mat, “One Big Party” misses a certain depth when sung by side-woman Mo.  With the majority of the album being fun and easy going, they could have gone for the gusto with a few more soulful tracks.  The ever-present optimism turned out to be a double-edge sword at times, giving the feeling that the band treaded lightly for fear of being too overbearing, limiting the album to a more generic, classic rock feel rather than emotionally subversive indie-rock.

Overall, Paleface’s new album One Big Party is a great album that will have you humming tunes for days on end.  Pulling from influences such as Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, and Daniel Johnston, Paleface used his years of experience in the art to put together a charming album with a cozy appeal.  Using old bluesy guitars, guttural rock and roll tunes, and cheerful melodies, this high energy duo has embraced the love of a good song. One Big Party is a fun bash that will truly resonate with all listeners.

3.5/5

The album will be released on October 12. Paleface will be performing on October 30^th at the Frequency at 8pm.

www.myspace.com/palefaceonline

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www.palefaceonline.com