Populuxe
Nowhere Left To Go
Populuxe has been releasing LP’s since 2014. They’re one of those bands that makes you question just what in the hell you’ve been listening to for the past couple of years, because you’ll inevitably ask yourself - how did they slip past my radar? There’s is an interesting mix of smart pop (XTC, Crowded House), rock (the Tubes) and a touch of Prog (Todd Rundgren). Fronted by Rob Shapiro, the band formed in NYC as a trio and has toured extensively. Most recently they put on a 3-night show at a theatre in North Hollywood (my old stomping grounds) showcasing their latest release - Uneasy Listening. Here’s our review of the track, “Nowhere Left To Go.”
It’s an ethereal, drone-like start with a floor tom providing the heart beat. Tones remind me of “Wrecking Ball” and b-sides of “The Bends” - great thinking vibe and a beautiful use of effects from the guitars (e-bow, perhaps?). Absolutely love the intimacy and melody of the first verse. You feel like you’re in on the secret with Rob’s delivery and its presence in the mix. Great mic choice, very little effects - perfect. Love how the guitars gently build around his vocals , and more importantly, their placement in the speakers. Before you know it, you’re wrapped in a nice cocoon. A big part of that is how they bring that bass line in, so that you really don’t get the meat of it until the back half of the chorus drops with the snare. Very clever - and shows good producing.
Nice uptick in intensity with the second verse and the slight change in percussion tones. The backgrounds help round it all out and when the vocalizations come back on the back half of the second chorus we’re singing along. Great stuff. Hold on to your hats because it all changes at 2:04. They break into a dreamy bridge section that’s part pyschedelic, part 70’s rock - it’s like 3 Dog Night and Chicago (without the horns) got together and wrote a section on acid. But it all makes perfect sense if you listen to the lyrics - and the story being told. It’s a breathtaking piece of work. How they bring it all back to the third verse and the “final conversation” shows you just how talented this band is. They bring us into a nice soft landing and you realize that you’ve just experience a beautiful ride - sad that it ended so soon.
Make sure you scroll down to catch their socials and the rest of their tracks. “I’m Not Good at Drugs” is a favorite - the vibe reminds me of the Tubes with it’s energy, as well as a bit of Prog with all the time changes. “This Show Is Closed” is a great theatrical track - literally - you can certainly see how this fits in with the play, and the chord changes and production are great. Really love the vocals and backgrounds on both tracks - for some reason it kept on reminding me of The Little River Band - certainly one of the best in the game of arranging great backing vocals.
As I said in the beginning, this is one of those bands that makes you rethink your musical radar. We love projects like this - anything that’s outside the norm and doesn’t confirm to what Nashville or Los Angeles says a great song should be. Great work guys, I’m going to get acquainted with your catalog!