Crowns on 45: Not On the Menu
Heartcare Records HC-010
http://www.crownson45.com
Before hearing Crowns on 45 I had decided that the New York music scene was pretty much dead and had not offered up anything useful since Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo…which was over a decade ago.
It looks like I was wrong.
The Crowns on 45 serve up a platter of punchy tunes that despite their standard riffs and predictable harmonics provide just enough surprises to keep one entertained without becoming dull and overplayed. The songs generally don't get too quick and exude a crunchy quality that recalls the sounds of Sleater Kinney and The Selby Tigers. Vocalist Heather Hellskiss shares MC duties with drummer Chris Ohnesorge and when the two of them come together the punk melts to pop and the sugar starts to flow, smoothed to taffy by Hillary Johnson's keyboards. The lyrical structure is almost a rant (most songs only contain three sentences), but Heather and Chris keep things within a certain melodic range so the sound is never grating or chirpy. Not On The Menu is raw enough to satisfy your craving for the loud, raw qualities of the punk rock sound but retains a velvety texture that will remind you, that despite their crusty attitude, even punks gotta have love too.
-John Southern