Album Reviews: Ugly Kids Club S/T EP
There is no better quality for a new band to have than attitude. Attitude in music brings out the true identity of the artist, leaving the listener with a lasting impression. With the vast openness of internet reshaping the music industry, a band’s window of time to hook in listeners has shrunken significantly, and a band with attitude quickly separates itself from the pack. Ugly Kids Club is such a band.
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Ugly Kids Club is comprised of members Steve Wilson and Aliegh Shields. Wilson, a grammy-nominated producer and songwriter has worked in the past with such groups as The Juliana Theory and Jonezetta, whereas Shields comes from a self-taught background, growing up playing the guitar and performing on stage. The group formed in 2011 and released their self-titled EP on January 10th, 2012. The six track EP spans just over 30 minutes in length and packs a real punch. The band’s fuzzy, in your face style of electronic rock is compiled of a mixture of distorted guitar and rich synth melodies and features both Wilson and Shields on vocals. While this EP immediately harbors comparisons to acts like Sleigh Bells and Dynasty Electric, Ugly Kids Club still maintains a sound all its own.
Listen While You Read
The Pros
The energy in this EP is immediately evident and intoxicating. All of the tracks have great first-listen appeal, and the chorus hooks are very catchy. Additionally, the production of this EP is very impressive. The hard drums and overdriven guitars are mixed with equally intense vocal stylings, yet the addition of cleaner poppy synths mix into the tracks very well and develop a very complete sound. Wilson and Shields match very well together vocally, with many tracks featuring equal parts from both artists, creating a sound which is uncommon and fun to listen to. The various layers of instrumentation mesh very well together, and despite the multitude of very different musical elements juxtaposed together, nothing really ever sounds out of place.
The Cons
While the vocals on this EP suit the music very well, some variation in the delivery would not have hurt. The EP establishes its tone on the very first track, and generally carries through on every other one. One or two alternate tracks with more melodically driven vocals would have done a lot in making the EP whole. Other than that, there isn’t a whole lot negative to say about this EP.
The Verdict
This EP is rock-solid. The Ugly Kids Club really came out of the gates with all cylinders firing and created a debut work that plenty of experienced bands wish they could muster. The production genius of Steve Wilson mixed with the punky vocals of Aliegh Shields combine to make a sound which leaves the listener craving more. With such a strong debut, I can not wait to see what the future has in store for this group.
