(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
Some music moves you and some gets you moving. Attraction by The Noise FM is definitely music to move to. I’ve been listening to this for the last few days while working and it’s impossible to not tap a foot or bob my head.
The album opener, “Ghost in the Microphone,” is a great overview of what to expect for the rest of the album, starting with some ambient noise and moving to a jerky drum fill, then into a driving rock song.
“Crooked Smile” augments the pop-rock feel with a mid-tempo groove pushed by a nicely syncopated muted bass and a punchy four-on-the-floor drum beat.
The album continues with and alternation between poppy, sometimes airy, gentle sections followed by a guitar heavy movement. The arrangements are evocative of Jimmy Eat World or The Foo Fighters all sent through a dance rock filter.
The genre-bending songs are given great treatment with the mindful production. The sounds feel carefully tailored to each section. The fast, harsh reverb on the drums in “The Attraction” aren’t used on “Scam Artist,” which benefits from the drier, closer sound. Densely layered vocals are the norm throughout the entire album—it’s a rare moment where a voice is presented alone. Many times the harmonies blend in to the keyboards and are only noticeable when they diverge into separate parts.
The band’s tag line—“Chicago indie-rock by way of small town Kansas”—is fitting for anyone familiar with the music that comes from the Midwest: Hard, dissonant, poppy, and atmospheric all in one piece of music.
–Justin Penney
Justin plays in Dollar Fox and is one of the founders of the KC label Money Wolf Music.
The Noise FM will be back in town on Saturday, December 21 at The Riot Room to host Noise For Toys: A Benefit for Kansas City Toys For Tots. We Are Voices, Shy Boys, and Rooms Without Windows will join them on the bill. 8 pm, 21+, admission is $8 or $4 with the donation of an unopened toy. Facebook event page.
And here’s the official video for "Every Other Word," off Attraction: