Cockroach In A Ghost Town

スティーヴン・マルクマスもゲスト参加! 元スリーター・キニーのジャネット・ワイズらによるニューバンド!!

MODERN KIN、PASTORS' WIVESのDREW GROWと元SLEATER-KINNEY、QUASIなどで知られるJANET WEISS を中心とするバンド、SLANGのデビューアルバムがKILL ROCK STARよりCD / LPリリース! ベースにKATHY FOSTER (ROSEBLOOD, THE THERMALS) 、ギター & ヴォーカルにANITA LEE ELLIOT (VIVA VOCE) を迎え、本作にはSAM COOMES (QUASI)、STEPHEN MALKMUS(PAVEMENT)、MARY TIMONY (HELIUM, EX HEX, WILD FLAG)がゲスト参加しています!

Drew Grow is a singer and lyricist not afraid of the grand gesture or playing to the last row of the balcony, which is why hes a frontman. Hes also not worried about sounding grandiose or a bit absurd; hes an indie rocker with the larger-than-life vibe of an arena rock star, even if the arenas arent ready for him. Grow has a cult following for his work with the bands Modern Kin and Drew Grow and the Pastors Wives, but hes found a bigger stage to show off his swagger on the debut album from Slang, 2022s Cockroach in a Ghost Town. Grow co-founded Slang with Janet Weiss, the celebrated drummer who has worked with Sleater-Kinney, Quasi, and Wild Flag, and with Anita Lee Elliot (formerly of Viva Voce) on lead guitar and Kathy Foster (of the Thermals and Roseblood) on bass, hes part of what could reasonably called a Pacific Northwest indie supergroup. While the buzzy guitars, angular but pop-infused melodies, layers of electronic seasoning, and deliberate rhythms dont sound out of character for Weiss or Foster, its the sheer brio of Grows vocals that puts him at center stage on this album, and hes a good ringmaster for this particular rock & roll circus. He delivers larger-than-life pomp on "Wilder," deep echoey cool on "King Gunn," shows off his high notes on the Bowie-esque "Wrong Wrong Wrong," and makes like hes the star of his own little blockbuster on the title track. Grow is lucky that his bandmates can deliver music strong and distinctive enough to support his ambitions, especially the clean, clear harmony vocals, the cinematic keyboard fills, and Weiss big, decisive drumming. (They also get some help from guest stars Stephen Malkmus, Mary Timony, and Sam Coomes, the latter two already familiar with Weiss from their other projects together.) Hopefully Slangs next album will give Grows bandmates a bit more room to shine, but Cockroach in a Ghost Town reveals this group have talent and ideas to spare, and this is indie rock that makes the most of its eccentricities. ~ Mark Deming