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Tucson, Arizona's Matt Rendon has certainly done his homework. Over the course of 22 years and six albums as The Resonars (seven if you count the Butterscotch Cathedral album; a one-ff psychedelic magnum opus released in 2015) for labels like Get Hip & Burger, Rendon's musical vision has remained unwavering; a paean to a lost-era of analog recording, whip-smart, dynamic songwriting, and soul-stirring anthems to ignite generations. "No Exit" is his latest album as The Resonars.
"No Exit" kicks off with the epic clang of "Louise Tonight", which merges dive-bombing guitar licks and bombastic drumming, hinting at the controlled chaos of a modern day Townshend/Moon. Elsewhere, "The Man Who Does Nothing" evokes the shimmering harmonies of The Hollies atop a persistent backbeat, and tunes like "Before You're Gone" "Beagle Theory" sidle up to a dreamy kiwi-jangle strong enough to make Martin Phillips jealous. Conversely, tunes like side two's "All Those Hats" rages with an amphetamine-laced melodic tension reminiscent of The Buzzcocks or The Undertones. Rendon has consistently proven to have a knack for an everyman style of songwriting that doesn't seem rote or tired, lacing his melodic vocal harmonies with that melancholic joy omnipresent in the best numbers by bands like The Beach Boys, Big Star or even Simon & Garfunkel's pop hits.
Rendon typically handles all aspects of Resonars albums from the recording & engineering (at his own Midtown Island Studios) to the performance of every instrument, but for "No Exit" he employs the help of some friends & colleagues; Resonars live drummer Johnnie Rinehart plays on half the tunes, while sometimes live members Ricky Shimo & Travis Spillers play bass & sing (respectively) on two numbers. Despite being the first Resonars album in 5 years, Rendon shows no signs of stopping; He's a rock & roll lifer, having been raised in a musical environment & osmosis thru older sibling's rock fandom. Once it's inside you there's no escape. "No Exit", if you will.
credits
released April 19, 2019
Recorded at Midtown Island Studios, Tucson, Arizona
Produced by Matt Rendon
All songs written by Matt Rendon except "Gotta Get Out" by Matt Rendon / Travis Spillers
Mastered by Patrick Haight at Spot-On Sound
Photography by Jason Willis
Johnnie Rinehart - drums on "Louise Tonight", "The Man Who Does Nothing", "Who's Gonna Believe You Now?", "Before You're Gone", "Tucson Drag", "All Those Hats" and "Beagle Theory" and bass on "Who's Gonna Believe You Now?" and "All Those Hats"
Ricky Shimo - bass on "Louise Tonight"
Travis Spillers - lead vocals on "Gotta Get Out"
Thanks to Wyatt Blair, Sean Bohrman, Louis Filliger, Nate Guttierez, James Peters, Andy Puig, Cherish Rendon, Isaac Reyes, Lee Rickard, Bill & Lisa Roe, Jeremy Schliewe, Ricky Shimo, Jason Willis
What are they? Who are they? What are they? Who freakin' knows but it's some of the greatest Arizona pop recorded in the last 1000 years. Recorded at Midtown Island headquarters.
Take a bit The Resonars
Let it be stated:
rock music needs more harmonies,
keys, and wild beauty.
(Fortunately, this one has it all!)
for more Very Good Haiku Reviews, visit:
comeawaywithemd.com/very-good-haiku-a-2021-music-writing-experiment/
EMD
Two girls and two guys from Geneva, Switzerland, make raucous and danceable Slits-esque punk songs with lyrics in English. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 30, 2016