By Deuce

Celebrity Warship Culture is definitely onto something with its latest offering, the nine-track album Recreational Everything. That much is perfectly apparent by the name of the band alone and, to a lesser extent, that of the LP.

But just what that is, what the band’s getting at, what tempts them and compels them to make art, sounds, and music, is much less readily discerned. There’s tunes by the name of “Medicational Nothing”. Patented oxymoronic efforts such as “Current Nostalgia”. Eyebrow raisers like “R(evolution)”, and flat out runes such as “Rebirther”.

It’s obvious that a substantial amount of forethought went into these tunes, including everything from their composition to their delivery. But that fact alone doesn’t make the album any less enigmatic, while it’s difficult to get past the feeling that these four fellas know something, are trying to tell you something, that’s just not readily understood.

What there’s no mistakes about, however, is the foursome’s penchant for putting together perfection, which is just what occurs on “Rebirther”. The guitars skip and gurgle joyously along without a hint of saccharine filler, the drums kick in smooth and simple as though they were programmed though they weren’t, and lead vocalist Liam Scott knows enough to back away from the mic at the right times to let the track breathe and deliciously churn away.

Speaking of Scott, he checks in for most of the album with a distinctly throwback to the 80’s appeal. It’s almost like he’s half rasping and half whispering the way he hits his notes, but it’s tracked really loud to still produce a big effect. He puts it down the best on “Subtropical Jet Stream”, which goes to town when the drums fall out, those guitars spin along swiftly measuring time itself, and Scott slows things down with that distinctive vocal demeanor of his.

Other numbers are more straight ahead rock in their presentation. Either Scott or Todd Pickell masters a screeching, elevated organ sound on the synths while the former busts out screaming, totally abandoning his calculated cool that predominates on most of the numbers.

It just goes to show there’s really no telling what to expect on this project and that the band is in on something the rest of us may be a little too square to get right off the bat. Just say it’s name three times fast if you’re a disbeliever. Get it?