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Song of the Day: Nallo

by Jon Schober

July 06, 2012

Don’t let “Different” fool you: while the song invokes a tight grasp of garage rock sensibility, the rest of Nallo’s new record Mechano and The Trees shifts in and out of that style – it’s not all raucous and unhinged. “Different” is our introduction to this record. It’s fast, gritty and explosive. It ends in two minutes, launching into “Beasts and Cartoons (Ropes and Sand),” a twice as long slow jam that sets the pace for the rest of the release. And perhaps that surprise in style between tracks is what makes Nallo so captivating to listen to.

They released all of the songs on Mechano in advance of the physical date (coming July 10, by the way). As separate compositions, they might not seem to connect right away, but listening in one go after the final product has been unleashed proves another story; it really is an established arrangement, one which invokes a sort of a Southwestern haziness. Sun beating down on the pavement, desert in the distance, soaking reverb layered over every moment.

Nallo is still a relatively new band, but the chemistry between the members indicates a much more mature collective. At just nine songs, they are able to accomplish a lot, and we can tell that they’ve painstakingly composed Mechano and The Trees over the past few months to ensure that their first full-length is a memorable one.

Nallo will be playing Saturday, July 7 at the Kitty Cat Klub.

Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment
This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.