Punk and Polished

Mike Krol’s new studio album Power Chords plays dangerously with the art of balancing surf punk intensity and alt-rock intention. Krol keeps punk from becoming stale by infusing indie rock into the musical mix, like The Strokes if they had played at the New York City underground rock club CBGB during the 1980s. Krol’s angst comes out through twisted guitar melodies and subdued yelling–with a feverishly punk attitude.

Oscillating vibrations switch between headphones, as the intro track “Power Chords” sets the tone for the rowdy, yet beautifully tamed album. “What’s the Rhythm” asks a question we really don’t have the creative intelligence to answer. In Power Chords, Krol is not bound by four beats per measure. Obviously influenced by the softness of Guided By Voices and the hardness of The Ramones, Mike Krol lets the best of the past slip into his music.

With a hint of Cage the Elephant in his voice, Krol is artistically unhinged in “An Ambulance.”  Shrieking guitar sounds fluidly angular, a contradiction that works only for Krol’s vision. “Little Drama” is more dramatic than the song title lets on, while “Left for Dead” pinches your ears to confiscate your attention. Distorted, fuzzy vocals and rhythmically unmatched drums fill you with an involuntary desire to raise your fists. Krol is rather possessive of his listeners while simultaneously uncaring of their sub-par opinion. He wants us to listen, but to leave our pretensions in the outside world.

The subsequent three tracks neglect their punk purpose: not reckless enough to shake up the album, but substantial enough for B-side tracks that serve a time-filling purpose. The guitar solo in “Nothing to Yell About” is convincingly tight-wired and flammable. “Arrow in My Heart” is Krol’s most emotionally exhaustive track, although we as listeners are not privy to his innermost intentions.

With one final stroke, “The End” closes out the album with nothing short of instrumental mayhem meant to hold a grudge. Krol’s finale feels as alive as a concert, leaving his listeners with one last taste of bitter madness. Although Power Chords might sound similar to the majority of punk amateurs, Krol’s music is highly polished with a clear orchestral vision.