Review of Indie pop rock foursome “Homemade Crazy” debut album “Synergy”
By: Tom Partington
June 23, 2014
Homemade Crazy is like your favorite local band. You root for them, you want them to succeed. “Synergy”, the debut album from the band, is like one of those cassette mix-tapes that your high-school friend gave you. You treasure it and it stays in your head, even though you are not exactly sure why.
In the age of computer-perfection, it’s welcoming to hear a melding of analog-style synthesizers and instruments played by human beings, warts and all. Even thought there is an unfortunate use of Autotune on Cumulo Nimbus, it’s used purely as an effect- the rest of the band continues to sound exceedingly human.
Although the musicianship is raw at times, there was obviously a lot of care put into the production and the technical limitations actually contribute to their unique sound. There’s quite a contrast between the innocent plaintive voice of Breezy Ortega, and the sarcastic sneer of Koby Blake. An equal contrast can be said of the juxtaposition of distorted rock guitar with 1970’s Rhodes keyboard sounds.(“Time Bomb”)
The mood mostly stays in a detached, slightly nostalgic mood (Only a Memory, Older Now) veering from a basic rock band to hint at various styles – a funky groove on Spill.Rev, a 12/8 feel on Man Up, even a moment of rap on Light as a Feather.
Homemade Crazy has a natural ability to create catchy hooks drawn from a wide palette. It will be interesting to see how they meld them into an even stronger Synergy in the future.
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