Close Counts
Close Counts is the second studio album from the American rock band the Brixton Riot.
| Close Counts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 6 October 2017 | |||
| Studio | Magpie Cage | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, indie rock | |||
| Length | 36:15 | |||
| Label | Mint 400 Records | |||
| Producer | J. Robbins | |||
| The Brixton Riot chronology | ||||
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Content
The eleven-track album was digitally released with Mint 400 Records on 6 October 2017, and self-released on compact disc. The basic tracks were recorded live on tape in twenty hours, over a course of two days, and it was engineered by J. Robbins at his Baltimore-based studio, Magpie Cage.[1] Robbins also provides backing vocals on the opening track, "Can't Stop Now." The band explains "we spent a lot of time getting the arrangements and parts finalized before recording[;] we recorded an entire "demo version" of the record before we went into the studio."[2] The album is described as a blend of power pop and alt rock, and it draws comparison to the music of Superdrag, Sugar, Big Star, and Teenage Fanclub.[1] The song "Little Sparks" predates their first release, Sudden Fiction.[2]
The record release party was held at Asbury Yacht Club with Dentist, and the Rock N Roll Hi Fives, and hosted by CoolDad Music.[3] The lead track "Can't Stop Now" appears on the 2018 Mint 400 Records compilation album, NJ / NY Mixtape.
Reception
Dagger calls the album "straight ahead tunes with punchy guitars," noting "Jerry Lardieri has a smooth croon."[4] Bob Makin in Institute for Nonprofit News calls out two of the tracks, "The Ballad of Pete Best" and "Little Spark" as "exceptional nuggets." He describes "Little Spark" as a "love song for vinyl junkies in the spirit of "Left of the Dial," adding that the song boasts "a Jam/Style Council-like Motown-inspired bassline from the effortlessly talented Steve Hass; the tune also sports one of the best verses this year by a local band."[3] The album was ranked No. 9 by Makin in The Aquarian Weekly's Top Albums of 2017.[5]
A review by James Damion in Jersey Beat says "it's go-time the moment the bass line meets up with the opening guitar riff meet on the album's opening track "Can't Stop Now;" one can't help but rejoice in its statement of purpose and declaration of being," adding that "there's a sense of warmth that seems to wrap itself around every Brixton Riot song."[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can't Stop Now" | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Slow Evolution" | 2:58 |
| 3. | "Easier Said Than Done" | 2:51 |
| 4. | "Hector Quasar" | 3:07 |
| 5. | "The Ballad of Pete Best" | 3:23 |
| 6. | "Caroline" | 3:47 |
| 7. | "Maybe Tomorrow" | 2:16 |
| 8. | "Little Spark" | 4:17 |
| 9. | "Move On" | 2:39 |
| 10. | "Talk About Nothing" | 3:20 |
| 11. | "Surrender to the Void" | 3:33 |
| Total length: | 36:15 | |
Personnel
- Steve Hass – bass and vocals
- Matt Horutz – drums
- Jerry Lardieri – vocals and guitar
- Mark Wright – guitar
Additional musicians
- J. Robbins – backing vocals on "Can't Stop Now" and tambourine on "Hector Quasar"
- Alejandra Rodriguez – backing vocals on "Maybe Tomorrow"
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- The Aquarian Weekly Staff (27 December 2017), "The Top Albums of 2017", The Aquarian Weekly, retrieved 1 March 2019
- Bodkin, Bill (17 November 2017), "The Brixton Riot on Close Counts, Balancing Music & Life, & Holiday Jams", The Pop Break, retrieved 1 March 2019
- Damion, James (2018), "The Brixton Riot - Close Counts", Jersey Beat, retrieved 1 March 2019
- Hinely, Tim (29 November 2017), "The Brixton Riot - Close Counts (Mint 400 Records)", Dagger, retrieved 1 March 2019
- Makin, Bob (5 October 2017), "Makin Waves' Record of the Week: The Brixton Riot's 'Close Counts'", Institute for Nonprofit News, retrieved 1 March 2019
- Pirate! Staff (2017), "The Brixton Riot - Close Counts", Pirate!, retrieved 1 March 2019