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Maddock // It's Drowning Out
Maddock is a young trio right out of Erie that isn't afraid to experiment with fresh sounds.
November 23, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Maddock
It's Drowning Out
Self-released
4.25/5 stars
The album begins with light sonic pings surrounded by a static haze. A few seconds later, the band cuts in with a heavy dance-rock groove. Maddock is a young trio right out of Erie that isn't afraid to experiment with fresh sounds. The guitar has a timbre I thought was outlawed in this city. The instrumentation is raw and angular, with a postpunk edge. Fuzz-soaked rumbles accentuate invitingly knock-kneed melodies. Sounds recall underly-lauded bands like Q And Not U or the Dismemberment Plan. Andrew Henderson's vocals are simultaneously vulnerable and aggressive, his nasal tenor at times gritty (in the classic-sounding "Underground Babe"), while at other times, tender (in the wonderful Cymbals Eat Guitars-esque tune "Stalagmites"). Lyrically, the band is far beyond their years, blending emotional forthrightness with clever wordplay. Any band that uses the phrase "histrionic badgering" in a chorus has my immediate attention ("Frequencies"). It's Drowning Out is the band's first full-length, and it's spectacular front to back. Be sure to keep an eye out for their next appearance at Basement Transmissions and beyond.
– Nick Warren