Pulley
Matters (Epitaph)
by Tim Den
Don’t let the opening fool ya: Matters, Pulley‘s fifth album, kicks off with “A Bad Reputation,” an exact replicate of every song the band has ever written before. “Oh great,” I thought to myself. “Just when Together Again For the First Time reignited the flame of my interest, these guys go and put it out.” But then “Blindfold” comes on, stacked chords, choir-worthy vocal harmonies and all, and the story takes a much more interesting turn. Helmed by metal guru Matt Hyde, Matters – excluding the opener – turns out to be a precise, intense, and seasoned output from guys who’ve been at the SoCal game forever.
Matters, with its smooth and powerful production, immediate-but-not-stupid hooks (“Immune” in particular), and a need to prove its relevance (check the title), has once again kept these vets on top of the genre. From the sounds of it, they’ve still got plenty of fiery energy to burn down the competition.
(www.epitaph.com)