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Action |
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From the neon pink and green cover, you can tell right away that Action Action is reaching into the past and coming out with something different for the future. On the first go around, a listener can hear old-school U2, The Cars, The Go-Gos and The Cure. Also easy to hear are cues from ‘80s British invaders like the intro synth arp on “drug like,” the band’s first single; and the Flock of Seagulls-ish guitar stabs in “instructions on building a model airplane.” The bizarre thing about the way Action Action integrates its influences is the lack of synthesis. One song may sound like U2, while the next sounds like The Cars. Normally this would be a fault, but they have good predecessors and sound influences, so they don’t sounds like a bad cover band. Whichever sound they appropriate, however, they include the real staple of their sound: the dark wave synth. The synth isn’t there just for something different; these guys use it to advance these songs musically and not just as a gimmick. It accomplishes its mission of separating Action Action from every other band out there. When you hear them, you know it’s them. You’ll know it every time. For
all of the harkening back to the ‘80s pop influences, it would
be easy to sound poppy. Action Action gets around that with crunchy
guitars that punch and pound in select places. Rather than a wall
of power chords, the guitars are arranged to be just another instrument
to best get the song from beginning to end without being self-conscious
of its elements. When the guitars step up front, however, they definitely
drive the point home that Action Action is indeed a rock band in
the first degree. Particular favorites include “photograph,”
“instructions on building a model airplane,” “eighth-grade
summer romance,” and “don’t cut your fabric.” —Geoff Hineman |
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