KAREN PAGE – S/T

Karen Page’s music hits you like a schizophrenic grandparent: one second they are pinching your cheek and telling you how proud they are of you, and minutes later they’re swinging a broom with hate and disgust. A barrage of rapid-fire guitar licks, thunderous beats, and ferocious vocals are met with unusual tempo changes that throw the listener a musical curve ball.

“Out of the Woodwork” and “The Icebox” open this self-titled album with a super-fast tempo and gut-wrenching vocals, gearing the listener for 13 tracks of ear-bleeding hardcore tracks.

Or so I thought.

The third track, “Your Body is a Wasteland,” dumps the hardcore beat in favor for a catchy popped-up rock sound. Interestingly, the song ends on more of a hardcore note, proving that predicting what the rest of the album was going to sound like would be an impossible task. One of the highlights of the album has to be the eighth track, “Bag of Nerves,” a great laid back piece with intervals of musical insanity. Matt Tluchowski’s vocals on this track are truly impressive due to his ability to change his range and style in an instant.

Musically, these guys are on the top of their game. I’m not usually one for “Cookie Monster” vocals, but Tluchowski’s vocals are fitting and enjoyable. The guitar work is stellar and the drumming is on point. On the surface, Karen Page appears to be another young hardcore band in a sea of hardcore bands, but digging past the surface presents a much deeper sound and style. All too often, musicians can fall into predicable modes, but it’s clear that this album will keep listeners on their toes.

(Rotten Records, PO Box 56, Upland, CA 91785)