Distopia
Criminal
Wedged up against Connecticut, in Rye Brook, New York you’ll find the solid rock trio “Distopia.” Think RHCP, a little bit of Jellyfish, the edgier tones of The Beatles and add in some guitar tones of BHT&TM - that’s what they are, a smart trio with funky breakdowns, good tones and vocals on the edge of distortion. We love trios here at Phantom Power - regular readers know that - it’s a delicate balance of musicianship that can either go horribly wrong and pack a massive punch. This band is prolific and off to a great start since their debut in 2019, here’s our review of “Criminal” from their latest, self-titled release.
Huge intro with an all band start and some crowd noise that will make you check your speakers. When the groove starts, the head bops start to this funky groove in the key of D at around 98 bpm. Love the little riffs that keep it interesting. With the verse, there’s a change in the drum pattern over to the toms that creates some great space for the vocal lines - crunched in compression and distortion - between some chromatic hits from the bass and guitar. Solid rock and funk vibes right off the bat - love it - would love to see this live.
The chorus is another interesting section where the first half features the drums, and the back half shreds, setting up the second verse. We always look at song sections as being similar to parts of a house, and they do a great job of constructing separate and unique sections thus far. It’s refreshing to hear a band take such an approach - too many tracks these days feature sections that just lightly bleed into the next. You can tell these guys take their parts and composition seriously. Second verse takes it up a notch with added fills and vocal effects before we go right back into that massive drum chorus and another furious breakdown that is very reminiscent of Flea and Frusciante.
At 2:45 we get the bridge - and our favorite part of the song. Intricate chromatic riffs that remind us of Blues Traveler, followed by an all-out bash fast before we get back into a verse vibe. Another solid section that shows some serious thought process. The last chorus hits even harder with a drum fill that’s part Animal, part Dave Grohl, and vocal screams that match the intensity of the lyrics. They burn it all down with the head riff and a tight ending. Great stuff!
Make sure you scroll down to catch their other tracks and outtakes on Social Media. Dig “Good Day,” a nice duet with Haley Flake that reminds us of 90’s college rock, love the Strat tones and feel of “Brooktown Rye,” it’s got a solid R&B feel to it with their solid use of snappy breaks and runs, and a cool trumpet solo. This is one of the tracks that reminds us of Jellyfish.
Good work dudes, we look forward to your next release and hope to see you on the road soon!