TV Party “Psychic Driving” Album Review
Mixing the sounds of The Clash with the new modern edge of The Strokes, “Psychic Driving” brings us 12 songs that feel familiar yet refreshing. It’s the kind of album that would have pioneers of the punk music movement proud of today’s generation.
The album begins with a song titled “Bag of 5 Marbles,” fading in with a fast paced drum beat followed by guitar chords that make you want to sprint. The song is upbeat and contagious, reminding me of a song you might hear in the opening of an 80’s/90’s coming of age film.
A lot of the songs on the album feature repetitive guitar lines and lyrics, but still manage to not over exhaust themselves. A prime example of this is the second song on the album “Motorbike Libido (She Loves the Beatles).” The chorus goes like this:
“She loves the Beatles
And he’s got a motorbike libido”
The song is just under two minutes, allowing listeners to appreciate the repetitive drive of the tune without feeling like it drags on. The guitar is fast and rough in the best way, making you want to nod your head along.
One of my favorite things about Psychic Driving is the vocals. The singing is deep, rich and at some points, slightly off pitch, similar to the voice of Julian Casablancas. A couple songs off of this album that greatly exemplify this are “Pocket Full Of Harold” and “Save Your Life” with minorly harmonized choruses giving the songs a sound that is gritty, yet full and satisfying.
The band also proves themselves as a group that can sing slow moving and emotional ballads like “Fentanyl.” This song is graceful and melancholic shown not only through the soft minor guitar chords and slowed down high hat, but through their hard hitting lyrics as well.
“Nothing makes my world so small like Fentanyl.
There is nothing you can say to make it go away
Once I noticed you were gone, I sang to myself
But the notes all came out wrong”
The lyrics are heartbreaking and raw, sung in a drawn out way that makes you want to sit in your car in the pouring rain. The soft guitar and melancholic chord progression paired with the long talk-like vocals reminds me of The Velvet Underground. It is a major switch up from the rest of the tracks on the album, a song that I was really hoping to hear when first listening.
In contrast, there are songs sung in more of a rhythmic way like “Gone.” The vocals on this track are not long and drawn out, but rather sound short and staccato like. The style of singing aligns so well with the fast guitar riffs and feel similar to the sounds of London punk bands like The Clash, T Rex, or the Sex Pistols.
My favorite song on Psychic Driving is a song titled “Save Your Life.” The song is a beautiful balance of all the things I have already stated about this album. It begins with a deep alternating synth that kicks off the song into a fury of fast guitar and rich vocals. The melody really scratches an itch in my brain and is one that can get stuck in my head for days.
Psychic Driving ends with a melancholic and mournful anthem titled “Black Mascara.” The song starts off with a bang as TV Party hits us with a highly emotive high pitched guitar riff. It had me simultaneously swaying and nodding my head as the song alternated between the bridge and the chorus. “Black Mascara” touches on the ideas of loss and remorse, emphasized through every aspect of the tune.
The chorus reads:
“There was black mascara dripping down your cheeks
oh baby girl
I understand your needs now
Now that I’m so much older
And there was black mascara
Such a silly thing for a girl to wear
I understand you’re weak now
Now that I’m so much older.”
As the album came to a melancholic close, I was ultimately left craving for more from TV Party.