Rays

Oakland-based Rays’ self-titled debut album produced by Kelley Stoltz is a bouncy and vital exercise in 21st century post-punk revivalism filled with personality, ingenious riffs, and clever lyrical observations.

From the press release:
On RAYS’ debut album the band spins eleven tunes of wiry, urgent post-punk, one foot planted firmly in the nihilistic apathy of 70 & 80’s punk (Wire, Electric Eels, Pere Ubu, Eno, Television The Fall), Australian punk past & present (UV Race, Terry, Victims, Babeez), and the addictive strum of 80’s & 90’s New Zealand/Flying Nun pop speaking to the absurdities of everyday life, but with a wry smile.

RIYL: Erasers, Parquet Courts, Television Personalities, Omni, and The World.

FCC CLEAN!
Recommended Tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10

1. (3:07) **Attic – Medium-up tempo lo-fi rock a la early Flying Nun records. Rhythmic. Female vocals.
2. (3:30) Dead Man's Curve – Part power pop, part art punk a la Ork Records. Nice guitars. Dude singing.
3. (2:23) *Lost In A Cage – Another art pop absurdist exercise. Killer guitars. Female vocals.
4. (1:54) **Back Downtown – Keep the 21st century post-punk revivalism alive! Solid.
5. (1:52) Gambler – The true sequel to the previous song. Medium-up tempo. CBGBs forever.
6. (2:44) **Drop Dead – Adventurous upbeat recording with layers of rhythmic guitars, more guitars, other amp-generated noises, and solid no wave vocals. Television meets Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers.
7. (2:32) Pain And Sorrow – 21st century post-punk revivalism ballad. Wire would be proud.
8. (2:09) ***Theatre Of Lunacy – Absurdist art pop medium-up tempo piece. Brief and memorable.
9. (1:32) ***Made Of Shadows – The gem of the record. Upbeat, stylish, and just perfect.
10. (1:52) *Model Or You – This could be the B-side of the previous song. More Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers adulation here.
11. (2:40) Over And Over – The other 21st century post-punk revivalism ballad on the album. I love Wire too.