PREMIERE: Curling - Radio King

Phillipe Roberts

Coming off of their 2016 self-titled release, which featured frantic drums in constant combat with noisily nimble guitar (leaning towards YES on the math-rock spectrum), Curling strike a surprisingly measured posture on their latest single. Glued to a propulsive beat and pressing its way through a hail of glittering arpeggios, “Radio King” doesn’t let up until the last note splashes off into the sunset, leaving a memory trail of sparkling, no-nonsense melodies in its wake.

There’s a curious purity to Curling’s approach this time around. For a band used to off-time turnaround riffs and intricately stitched together fills, hearing them jam out and ride the beat so consistently is a breath of fresh air. Given time and space to get comfortable in the mix, that virtuosic intensity brings out a sweetly nostalgic side to the band. It pairs especially well with singer Bernie Gelman’s knack for aching wistfulness, affecting a tone that’s somewhere between Duster and vintage Built to Spill.

In a better world, the stadium-sized falsetto choruses of “Radio King” would be a swift ticket into the ranks of FM royalty. As a single, it’s a phenomenal entry point into the limited but rapidly expanding universe that Curling is building around them.

REVIEW: Wicked Man - Terranean Tremors

Will Shenton

As I so often do, I struggled for a while to pin down exactly where Berkeley-based four-piece Wicked Man was supposed to fall on the genre spectrum. Their latest EP, Terranean Tremors, is a clever amalgam of folk, chamber pop, rock, and even funk that's almost as inscrutable as it is fun to listen to.

Among the tags on their Bandbamp page, though (that last refuge of music journalists looking for a clue), was the perennially difficult-to-define "math rock." And while I don't think that captures exactly what Wicked Man are doing, it does shine a bit of light on what makes their sound unique.

The staccato guitars and atypical time signatures that are the hallmarks of that genre pepper Terranean Tremors, but they do so against a multi-instrumental backdrop that's more pensive and jazzy than the name would typically imply. Rather than an aggressive, academic vibe, the resulting sound has all the approachability of folk with the energy and depth of experimental pop.

Coupled with understated vocals reminiscent of Radical Face's Ben Cooper, Wicked Man have hit on a really unique, likable sound. In an East-Bay scene that seems to be embracing this style of organic pop (see groups like Trails and Ways), I'm sure an intriguing release like this will see them thrive.