In the ever-evolving world of single releases and EPs, Raised On Candy decided to brave the waters and take us back to the days of gut-punching bass lines, In-your-face crunchy riffs, and raw goodness by launching a 12-track album, which is a total of 34 minutes of pure unfiltered power.
The dynamic trio of Joe Penna on vocals and guitar, Scotty Imp on drums and percussion, and Kevin Harris on bass and vocals decided to team up and show us kids, what type of music we are missing out on. The album is a blend of indie-rock, post-punk, shoegaze, and from my perspective a tad bit of that grunge sound.
What made Raised On Candy different from the rest of the up-and-coming bands nowadays is their distinct hold on their craft. These gentlemen are self-aware of the talents that they possess. Track after track has a different offering than any other. The melodic riffs on each track are a testament to these seasoned pros’ awesomeness.
The first track, Nishuane Park started with a melodic riff that complimented the raw drum pattern and bass line that came after making it a great start to this album. The second track, Lonely Bill, introduced the album’s post-punk, grungy feel. The crunchy rhythm guitar tone accompanied by the raw sound of the drums is heaven-sent.
The indie-rock sound of the trio came out on the third track, Midnight Creeper. Blending that indie-rock sound with a bassy fuzz guitar tone in the chorus is just genius because of its gain level. For our non-musician friends, gain staging during a recording is finding the right balance between too low and too high. It becomes complex when a certain instrument has another gadget to be added to the mix making me wonder, did Raised On Candy record this album live playing together or one at a time?
As the fourth song of the album started playing, the Nirvana influence started peaking out. Rococo sounds like a song that Kurt, Krist, and Dave would create in a heartbeat. The fifth song of the album, Like a Bird is a guitar and bass-driven song. Both instruments complement each other like butter and milk. Maxing The Clink is a melodic tune that starts with rim clicks followed by face-melting distorted harmonics which makes me wonder again, why is it cool to listen to raw toms and why is it sitting well in the mix.
Reunion holds the longest intro and the longest song of the album. The bass line of this track sounds overplayed but really, it sits well between the drums and guitar giving the song a character of its own. The Ponderosa created a positive feeling to the album which is a shocker compared to the previous tracks giving Raised On Candy extra points for creativity. Big Game Hunter is the ninth track of the album and by far has the best transition from verse to chorus making anyone listen to this track recreate the biggest compliment that any musician can get. The stanky face.
Contrary to its title, Soft Metal is the chillest track of the album. For the eleventh track of the album, Ora gave us back this post-punk vibe making sure we are back on our feet swaying to the song like it’s the last time, and lastly, Whisper Me Your WIsh, gave us this interesting panning technique that can grab anyone’s attention. For our non-musician friends, it’s a technique used in music production to mimic that moving sound adding a sense of space and depth to the track.
Overall, Raised On Candy’s debut album of the same name made me smile, sad, amazed, and relaxed. It’s a well-balanced album that can and will withstand the test of time. Gone are the days of just pure album listening so thank you Raised On Candy for being a trendsetter.
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About the Author
He has been in the music industry for two and a half decades. Currently, he plays bass guitar for a rock-reggae band called EnjointPh and a funk-fusion trio called Banky. He also hosts a podcast titled Usapang Musiko with Ervin Besana, which explores topics such as music, arts, and philosophy.
