Brock Pytel isn’t exactly a household name, so if I may
impart a crash course, he was half of the singing/songwriting force behind Montreal’s
Doughboys, a rollicking, skate-punk
friendly setup who were lucky enough to benefit from his talents in the late ‘80s. The other half of the Doughboys, Jon Kastner, went onto slightly greater renown, steering his band to a major label in the '90s, albeit sadly, Pytel was out of the lineup by then. If you've familiarized yourself with the first two Doughboys records, Whatever (1987) and Home Again (1989), Brock's vocals are easily identifiable as the gruffer and more rugged of the band's mouthpieces, on cult-classic punk-pop bangers "You're Related" and "You Don't Know Me." The more I think about, he almost functioned as the foil to Kastner's comparatively more tuneful pitch.
He’s been a bit reclusive ever since, managing an under-the-radar solo LP, Second Choice in 2000, but he's
convened an ace new posse, the SLIP~ons, whose guitarsy power-pop is an apt
showcase for his rugged timbre and emergent melodious chops. The sonic palette on the band's second single, "Bad TV," isn't far removed from the canvas the Doughboys were won't to assault with spray paint, but it is more economical than what we heard from him in the '80s. The hooks set in deep on the nearly five-minute "Bad TV," not only exemplifying how far he's evolved over the past three decades, but makes a strong case for this being the most compelling song he's attached his name to. The even riffier "Cork & Kandy Glass" is another crunchy delight with a passionate melodic under-bite. Sure, there may only be two numbers amidst these grooves, but it will leave you craving more, desperately more if you're anything like myself. Many happy returns Brock!
Physical and digital versions of the SLIP~ons latest 45 are available on Bandcamp, and are also streaming on Spotify.
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