I must admit Slow Burning Car is a new name to me, but the L.A. band already has 15 years on the clock and released four previous albums: Blowback (2007), Vol. 2-The Scattering (2009), Assumption (2013) and Defection (2017).
Sonically these guys lay on a bed draped with all the trimmings of Grunge and Alt Rock, but there’s plenty in the mix really including a blast of metal, the big riffs of old school Rock and even a little artiness and experimentation for good measure. Indeed there’s a bit of everything in here from Swervedriver, and old-schoolers like Husker Du, Sonic Youth and more.
Defiant opener ‘Public Cynic’ with its rather catchy riff is a powerhouse of Metal driven Grunge with some killer vocals and a great pounding rhythm section driving it on. And the female fronted alternative rockers are clearly on a mission to not only impress you with your musicianship but also send you off on little unexpected journeys.
That indeed is part of he joy here – it’s not an album that will bore you, rather one that will make you wonder what comes next. Songs like the groovier poppy ‘Lad-ish Man’ make you think of a guitar fixated B52s; whilst the wonderful part spoken word confession of a ghost in ‘Memoirs of a Gentleman Ghost’ has a touch of TPOH about it.They are just two standouts amongst a number f great tracks that all seem to have an innate energy.
You can almost hear a touch of Rush in ‘The Quantum Mariner’ had Rush formed in Seattle in the early 90’s. And when you add the languid and lilting ‘Seems so Nice’ and the epic soundscape of ‘Gardens in Space’ which clocks in at over nine minutes, as well as the slow and aptly-titled gentle Greek language ‘Meraki’ you have an album to remember.
8/10