Seaside, CA-residing garage-pop band Burnt Palms has been in existence for a few years, releasing its debut self-titled album in 2012, two split tapes, the theme song for a zine, and sophomore album, The Girl You Knew, in 2014, and now its third album is on the way.
Back on My Wall is due out February 5th on We Were Never Being Boring and was engineered by Gary Olson (founding member of Ladybug Transistor, producer). Olson has been along for the band’s ride since its first album, while the We Were Never Being Boring collective came on board with the second full-length. Once a trio consisting of Riley Riley (guitar, vocals), Clara Nieto (drums, backing vocals), and Brian Dela Cruz (bass), Burnt Palms has expanded to a four-piece with the addition of Joshua Vazquez on guitar.
Back On My Wall starts off with a bracing double shot of melody and noise on “Never Met You”, courtesy of the sweet, but casually delivered lead vocals and airy vocal back-up and the controlled, circling blasts of guitar distortion. The rhythm is up-tempo and breaks out into a kinetic flurry of drum hits and cymbal crash on the chorus sections. Riley sings-talks the main line of the song, “I love you / but I wish I never met you.”, while Nieto lifts up the bleak sentiments with her lighter tone. Pop-punk lead single “Fold” blasts by with a super-speedy beat, mighty guitar fuzz and sharper guitar lines, including a surf-pop surge, and Riley’s tossed-off vocal delivery where she questions “If I go missing / would you even notice?”
Clattering drums and cymbals and grimily distorted guitar lines run through “Nothing To Me” as Riley and Nieto’s harmonizing vocals leaven the tougher sonics. The relationship-based lyrics are still incisive and on the bitter side of bittersweet with Riley coming to the realization that “…you really are no one to me.” A bit like the punkier side of Lush from the early 90s, the band dashes through the choppy “Over” with a flashing drum beat and cymbal smash, buzzing guitar burn, and short-phrase lyrics from Riley and Nieto that continue the broken relationship theme. Riley sings at the start and end of the tune that “I cut my hair to get over you.” as Nieto swoops in with an airier vocal tone.
“Last Time” chugs along quickly with dirty guitar distortion and emphatic drums and cymbals acrobatics as once again Riley takes a dim, but matter-of-fact view, of a break-up, directly intoning “I’m trying to understand what it all meant / ‘cause I don’t think I’ll see you again.” On “31” a lighter guitar line and tambourine smacks make themselves heard amid the guitar distortion and raging drum beat. Riley also sings in a more vulnerable tone, drawing out and modulating her words a bit more.
Riley continues this vocal style on “Come Back” which starts with guitar afterburn and then grinds up the guitar and bass line fuzz amid ticking cymbal hits and stronger percussion. She admits that “…I want to be by your side.” while the guitar lines jangle and then fulminate into a whirling storm of sound around her plea of “Come back to me.” Angular guitar lines, heavy guitar distortion, and propulsive drumming make “Forget” memorable, along with Riley’s laid-back vocals as she sing-talks “It’s all in my head / Nothing’s making sense.” while Nieto agrees with her, shadowing the main vocal lines with the concurrence “It’s all in your head.”
The fuzzed up indie rock grind continues on “Be Mine”, but the song’s structure is pure upbeat pop and Riley’s vocals are on the sunnier side as she sings hopefully “One day you’ll be mine / ‘til the end of time.” Next number “No Goodbye” continues the mix of sun and clouds, with Riley opening the song with the message that “If I die tonight / know that it’s OK / ‘cause I’ve done everything I wanted to…” (Wow, not too many people can say that!) while the toned-down guitar grit is still flung at the restless drum beat. A surf guitar line, tambourine hits, and male backing vocals (from Dela Cruz?) buoy the stark sentiments that change by the song’s end to “I don’t want to die / I want to stay alive.”.
Album ender “You” fits in more male mirroring vocals and a calmer tempo (at first). Riley bares her heart, singing “…I just knew / I loved you.” Mild guitar lines ring out for a spell before spinning into a rapid and intense web of reverb among the swelling drum and cymbals hits as Riley proclaims plainly “All I want is you.” It’s plain to see that Back On My Wall is an exciting and engaging listen, from its observant relationship-oriented lyrics, appealing, pop-driven vocal harmonies and song melodies, and its noisier, indie rock guitars and drums dynamics.