Search - Pulley :: Matters

Very average

S. A Harbord | Nanaimo, British Columbia Canada | 08/08/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Let me begin by first saying that I am a big Pulley fan and have every one of their albums. However, I must say that this album follows the last two in which it dissapoints. Not to say that it isn't any good but it definately lacks the luster found in Pulley's first two albums, Esteem Driven Engine and 60 Cycle Hum which are still two of my favorite punk albums since I started liking punk back in 1990. Esteem Driven Engine is definately THE Pulley album to buy. They need Strung Outs Jordan to return..."

Back With Definition

orionsky | Barstow, CA | 04/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is by far the best Pulley album ever. Scott's vocals absolutly sore on this album. Scott does a lot of vocal tracking which is cool but questionable live. The vocal tracking especially stands out in songs like Blindfold, Huber Breeze and Insects Destroy. However there is just great tracking on all of them really. Anyone without the knowledge of music probably wouldn't tell but anyone with that knowledge could really tell the hard work Scott did on this album. He does a lot of great vocal harmonizing. There is not one weak moment on this c.d. with his vouice. For a real treat he goes acoustic on Thanks and everyone gets to hear his vouice really sore. Onto Jim Blowers the newest guitarist of Pulley. I met Jim at a show Pulley did in Lancaster, CA. While the show was terrible because El Dorado in Lancaster is the worst venue in the entire world (I don't think the sound guys there knew what they were doing at all) I was able to meet Jim after their set. He turned out to be a really great guy. Although at that time he was still playing songs that he didn't have any influence in writting. I was really anxious to see what would come out of him on this album. Jim uses Fender guitars so his sound is a bit different from Mike's it has a bit more of a twang to it. However his solo on Huber Breeze is absolutly fantastic. He is a bit of a guitar shredder while Mike is the melody maker. YSC has a great little guitar riff by Jim in it as well. It honestly sounds like something Bad Religion would do. Just starting a song off with a solo. Also Jim has a cool little melody in YSC. Not to mention the guitar melodic solo in Looking Back. Jim really does great on this album. Mike's work on this c.d. stands out in tracks such as Blindfold, Insects Destroy, and Poltergeist. Mike really doesn't solo that much from what I can hear. Mike does a lot of melodys like Insects Destory and Poltergeist. Then in Blindfold the little breakdown melody right after the 2nd chorus is just so unique it reminds me of something Fugazi would do for a second. Also it's hard to hear if Mike does the solo for I Remember but there is great guitar work in that song. All and all Mike provides a great thickness with his guitar on this album. It's hard to tell what Jim and Mike do because a lot of the solos seem to be tracked into both right and left. Tyler and Tony work great on this album. I've never heard Tyler so melodic before. I would pick out certain tracks for his goofy ass but he seems to do really great on everything. If you just listen to the background you'll hear all this cool bass stuff everywhere. Stomach Aches has great bass lines in it. Tyler's bass fills and great finger picking make this album so solid. Tony's drums are just great too. All his work in Ten Foot Pole was great and honestly TAFFT didn't have that great of drum work, this album has really great work in it. Tony goes really fast on this album again and is really tight again with his fills. He has really come far as a drummer. In closure this is by far the best Pulley c.d. out there right now. It took them nearly three years to make this album and it was worth every second of waiting. This is the best punk rock album I've heard in a very long time. It has the melodic Pulley mixed with the fast Pulley and makes the best album I have ever heard by them. There isn't really one bad song on this entire album. The entire album just gives you that good feeling inside. If your a fan of Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, NOFX, Millencolin, anything in that area there is no way you will not like this album. It's fantastic, Pulley did a hell of a job!!!"

It's No @#!*, But It's A Solid Effort All The Same

bec | Sydney, Australia | 11/15/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Pulley boys have slowed down considerably since @#!*, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Radinsky's vocals have become more rough and grating, perhaps in an effort to compensate for the loss of the raw edge they had in @#!*. The effect of layering Scott's vocals has become a constant in Matters, which rather than adding anything to their sound actually just smacks of overproduction. Pulley have essentially lost the edge they had in their earlier albums, but that's not to say they don't still deliver catchy tunes with somewhat improved lyrics this time around. If you don't already have @#!* I'd suggest you buy it over this one, but if you are a Pulley fan, check Matters out, I have the feeling that you'll either appreciate their efforts or you'll resent them for the change."