Review by Shannon Shumaker
Toy Cars are well on their way to establishing themselves as the next great indie/emo band to emerge from New Jersey with their vulnerable new release, Paint Brain. Lyrically, this timeless, gritty and emotional release plays almost like a stream of consciousness while diving deep into the band’s sound, proving their versatility in more high energy tracks like their single, “Cold” next to americana-inspired songs like the deep cut, “Erie.”
Opening Paint Brain is the album’s title track, which perfectly showcases the band’s strengths in just over two minutes. Gritty vocals situated next to a complex rhythm section and subtly stunning guitar work quickly establish the mood of Paint Brain. It’s easy to close your eyes and imagine screaming along with this song in the car with your windows down. Keeping up with “Paint Brain” is the next track, “Cold,” which is carried by a high energy, pounding chorus and sweeping guitar work.
On both “Paint Brain” and the emotional “Cold,” the merging of the band’s punk and emo influences with a more americana sound is obvious, making for a very unique sound – something not many artists are tapping into currently. This sound is only further explored in the lyrically driven third song, “Cobwebs.” Where “Paint Brain” and “Cold” shine in their high energy sing-along worthy moments, “Cobwebs” is really powerful when the entire band cuts out and you’re left with nothing but vocals and soft guitar as Matt Debenedetti sings, “You start a war every time you blink your eyes.”
A band with Toy Cars’ sound could easily fall into flat or comfortable songwriting patterns, and honestly, I kind of expected that at first on Paint Brain, but was pleasantly surprised as the album continued forward. Throughout the these songs, the band constantly experiments with their sound. For instance, the introspective, “Truth Be Told” is a stark contrast to the first few songs, which are driven by a pounding rhythm section and powerful vocals. Instead, this song takes on a more empty and raw tone, which perfectly compliments the lyrical content as Debenedetti opens up about his own struggles.
From there, Paint Brain transitions into the folky acoustic track, “Leaving A/B,” which touches on loneliness and the desire to connect with someone. The hopeful final line, “Maybe I should try,” prepares you for “Iron Me Out,” which is carried by bright instrumentals and feels like a turning point in the album. It’s followed only a few songs later by the beautiful, “Erie,” which features stunning guest vocals from Jenna Murphy of PRIM. Not only do Murphy’s vocals sit perfectly alongside Debenedetti’s, but this track really helps to balance out the different sounds and moods on the album. Although there are some heavily guitar driven tracks, this song in particular finds the band embracing their softer side. It’s really quite amazing how versatile Toy Cars are, but they make it seem easy.
Closing out Paint Brain are two very powerful songs, but for different reasons. “Tread” is explosive and frustrated, touching on the feeling of trying to move forward but being unable to. It is followed by easily the most emotional song on the album, “Sarah 1908.” This song hosts some of Debenedetti’s most heart wrenching vocal work, making for an unsettling, yet very fitting finale. From start to finish, the album is not only unpredictable, but vulnerable lyrically and solid from track to track sonically. There aren’t many bands who are able to merge genres quite like Toy Cars do on this release, which is sure to launch their career even further this year.
LISTEN TO “Cobwebs” or “Erie”
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