After much success last summer in the college radio circuit with the release of their second LP, Skeleton, Abe Vigoda is back with another collection of genre-bending tunes. Call it what you will — experimental, no wave, tropicali, punk, garage, or noise rock — this Los Angeles-based band has enough gusto and creativity to fill all these classifications, and more. Alternating between catchy pop-punk melodies and screeching guitars, Abe Vigoda reflects both the bright and promising parts of the band's sunny home, and the grittier side that lurks beneath.
While many of Abe Vigoda's earlier tracks clocked in at under two minutes, a lot of the songs on Reviver are longer and more developed, despite its being an EP. At almost six minutes, "Wild Heart" breaches epic territory. It begins with a simple melody that slowly and methodically builds over time, with plenty of tension and the addition of vocals and fuzzy guitar riffs, until it breaks back down and fades to white noise. Reviver may, at times, seem harsh and disorganized, but it's actually more melodic than its predecessors.
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