Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Black Widow



Pigeon Park are the epitome of hard working musicians. They sleep, eat and drink music. Constantly writing, playing shows and touring, they just keep pushing their brand of blues rock. All 5 members have old souls it seems because blues flows through them like blood. They have also released more abums/EPs than most bands in Vancouver! The reason? They keep creating more and more music! Pushing musical boundaries is what they do on a daily basis. They also cover great tunes from Elton John to Daft Punk. Their own songs range in both emotions and dynamics. Your feet will always be moving while listening to each one! Their newest album, "Black Widow," is great showcase of their talent. This album really captures their live sound and bottles it into a 4 track EP that will have you bobbing your head and grooving in no time!

The album starts out with "Come Down Slow"; a tale of a woman who's lost her way. She uses drugs every night to escape her reality, hoping that each night isn't her last. The guitar line as the beginning of this tune really sets the mood for the whole song. I envision some scene from "Fear And Loathing In Los Vegas;" a drug fuelled dream in the heat of a desert. The dirt effect on the vocals really gives the song character. The monstrous drums really push the song to the next level with their bombastic beats. They really help build the song's intensity towards the bridge guitar solo where everything seems to spin out of control. Leading up to the final chorus, finishing the song with a roaring scream, sinks your mind into the madness yet to come.

The title track, "Black Widow," follows next. Immediately, you are transported to a different world. Here there are crowded streets. The piano intro drives a sense of rhythm and order into your brain. I see business men walking down crowded streets on their way to work. Then in the distance, you see a woman in red parting hordes of men like moses and the red sea. This women is on a mission. The mission being to collect every cent from you and suck you dry. A thick 'Aerosmith' groove builds into a heavy swing blues riff chorus. It's all held together by this catchy whistling hook. Such a dark and twisted song fits the dark and twisted lyrics. This is definitely the radio single from this album. Then, out the darkness comes this bridge with such sorrow that your heart cries. This song truly rocks my speakers practically on a daily basis.

The third track is a working mans track. "Money Beats Soul" basically sums Vancouver up in a nice little box. Working every day, all day, at a job that does nothing to fuel your soul and the struggle between your brain and your heart. Don't you wish you could just quit your job and live your dreams? This crunchy tune drives the pain right into your heart and makes you want to revolt and quit your job! Right off the bat, there is a catchy guitar riff that gives way into a bass driven verse, which builds right back up to the groove driven chorus. A very jazzy blues bridge with some fantastic falsetto vocals. A great wah-guitar solo ensues, driving it back into the outro riff with more crazy vocal lines! 

The final track, entitled "Feel The Rain," is this EP's only slower track. Personally, I would have put this as track number 3 and ended off the album with the bang that is "Money Beats Soul". The track is almost a slow waltz. This is a man's sorrowful cry to his woman. This track really showcases the vocal's grit and cracks when singing his heart wrenching lines. You can also clearly hear the emotion in every guitar line. The bass and drums stay fairly minimal, giving lots of room for the vocals and guitar duelling lines. Both trade back and forth phrases of sadness. Ending with a great finishing vocal line. A slow dramatic ending to the album.

Overall, this album delivers great quality for a great price. Only $4 on bandcamp, and it goes directly to the band. Please support this hardworking band! They also won first place in the finals of the Fox Vancouver Seeds Competition. They seem to be always on tour, so go show them some love and put some gas in their gas tank!

Check out their Facebook page HERE and also check out their album HERE

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