The Halo Benders

The Rebel’s Not In (K)
by Bob Ham

The Halo Benders have enough musical talent packed into one band that it’s reason alone for buying this album. Fronted by basso profoundo Calvin Johnson (ex-Beat Happening and head hurdy-gurdy man for Dub Narcotic Sound System) and guitar saint Doug Martsch of Built to Spill fame, the band also features a Northwest institution by the name of Steve Fisk, BTS’s erstwhile bass man Wayne Flower, and the drum work of Ralf Youtz, who can be seen in his spare time banging away for The Feelings and The No-no’s.

Anyone who’s heard any of the previous bands mentioned gets a general idea of what they are in for on this record as all the best parts of those groups are mashed into one gigantically gorgeous mess of boogie-down rhythm, guitar mastery, and off-kilter vocal and lyric work.

For those of you haven’t, imagine two vocalists working the opposite ends of the tonal spectrum playing cat and mouse games with one another, backed up by the finest rhythm section this side of The Smiths, and garnished with incredibly astute and assured guitar noodling and the spiraling squawks of vintage keyboards, all adding up to a solution of some excellent songs that’ll make you want to get up and shake your proverbial groove thang. Definitely one of the finest releases of the year.