The Authors recent CD release, Get Haunted, is the soundtrack of every summer. Sporting a California-styled, beach-rock, New Wave sound, The Authors first full length record since their debut EP rolls riffs like waves of music into your ear holes. The sound of Get Haunted is something that falls between The Police, Dick Dale, at times Flock Of Seagulls, and something all their own, without having that awkward kind of acquired-taste sort of sound that such a hybrid would usually warrant. In fact, every song is catchy, toe-tapping, and addictive while still maintaining individuality among songs without dragging along like many first full-albums seem to do. The first track, "Timebomb", stands apart as something special. A slightly garage-grungier, harder rocking song compared to the offerings of the rest of the album, while being at the forefront to set the tone, while the following songs descend more and more into New Wave. The entire album is a gradient of genre, really, going from that grungier rock all the way to Hawaii Five-O styled guitar licks near the later songs of the album, showing a kind of range and variety paired with great confidence, all of which is rarely present in a first album. Though they are Austin darlings through and through, Get Haunted takes your head-space to Venice Beach during a summer sunset, without having to worry about all the reasons Austinites abhor California. Solid tunes, from a solid band, and at only $12, the album is more than worth the dollar per song.
Get Haunted debuted Sept. 7th. The Authors will be at End of an Ear Records today (Sept. 10th), at 6pm, sporting free beer for fans.
–Mitchell Mazurek