Fresh from New York City, QTY brings listeners a fun indie rock album that is reminiscent of classic rock styles. QTY is a good blend of old guitar sounds and underground indie rock melodies. "Rodeo" drops us into the album with a heavy rock vibe with loud drums and classic guitar riffs. It is quick to engage the listener into the soundscape. "Dress/Undress" progresses the album with interesting vocals between Dan Lardner's low voice and Alex Niemetz's softer background harmonizations. The vocal fluidity runs the song into an intense ending buildup. After "Dress/Undress", the album lightens up for the third track. "Michael" has a catchy chorus with a more traditional song form.
The fourth track is currently my favorite song because of how it breaks open halfway through the playback. "Cold Nights" balances haunting lyrics with repetitive instrumentals. It drills in the point with Lardner's vocal strains at the two minute mark. We get to hear more of Lardner's higher vocal range in "Word for This". There is nothing special about his somewhat worn-out voice, but it works really well with the band's genre.
The second half of the album is a smoother and more subdued. "Notify Me" has easy-going guitar chords and consistent drum beats. The guitar solos in the track would make for a fun live performance of the song. One of the strengths of the album is the raw sound that would make for a good concert. Towards the end of "Notify Me", QTY adds sweet string melodies to play off of the twangy guitar. This leads the listener softly into the most subdued track on the album. "Sad Poetic" is created with a sympathetic soundscape. The lyrics claim, "No, I don't wanna sound like a sad poetic". Yet the song has a sad tone to reflect the message.
Towards the end of the album, we finally get to hear Alex Niemetz's voice in the lead vocal role. She is dreamy and has potential as a lead singer for more songs to come. There is a country twang to "New Beginnings", helping to create the dreamy atmosphere for Niemetz's voice. Just as the song fades out, we fade into the final track of the album. "Salvation" is a solid ending song with a buildup to leave the listener in anticipation of more music to come from QTY. As Niemetz and Lardner's debut album, QTY strikes a nice balance between classic rock and indie rock soundscapes.
Score: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: "Rodeo", "Michael", "Cold Nights", "Salvation"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Living Things"
The fourth track is currently my favorite song because of how it breaks open halfway through the playback. "Cold Nights" balances haunting lyrics with repetitive instrumentals. It drills in the point with Lardner's vocal strains at the two minute mark. We get to hear more of Lardner's higher vocal range in "Word for This". There is nothing special about his somewhat worn-out voice, but it works really well with the band's genre.
The second half of the album is a smoother and more subdued. "Notify Me" has easy-going guitar chords and consistent drum beats. The guitar solos in the track would make for a fun live performance of the song. One of the strengths of the album is the raw sound that would make for a good concert. Towards the end of "Notify Me", QTY adds sweet string melodies to play off of the twangy guitar. This leads the listener softly into the most subdued track on the album. "Sad Poetic" is created with a sympathetic soundscape. The lyrics claim, "No, I don't wanna sound like a sad poetic". Yet the song has a sad tone to reflect the message.
Towards the end of the album, we finally get to hear Alex Niemetz's voice in the lead vocal role. She is dreamy and has potential as a lead singer for more songs to come. There is a country twang to "New Beginnings", helping to create the dreamy atmosphere for Niemetz's voice. Just as the song fades out, we fade into the final track of the album. "Salvation" is a solid ending song with a buildup to leave the listener in anticipation of more music to come from QTY. As Niemetz and Lardner's debut album, QTY strikes a nice balance between classic rock and indie rock soundscapes.
Score: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: "Rodeo", "Michael", "Cold Nights", "Salvation"
Least Favorite Tracks: "Living Things"
