A Place To Bury Strangers: Dead Electric

The Big Apple is a giant, noisy, crowded city. For industrial-strength shoegaze rock band A Place to Bury Strangers to have gained a reputation as one of New York's loudest bands is no small feat, though they're uniquely suited to carry that flag. The trio operates out of Death by Audio, a studio and live performance space that also houses frontman Oliver Ackermann's business building custom guitar effects pedals for such artists as Nine Inch Nails and U2—and where the band can make as much racket as they want.

Not that the band is a one-note stunt, a mere technical exercise in volume or a showcase for Ackermann's DIY gear. Behind their tumbling walls of sound on new album Worship are some surprisingly straightforward pop impulses and hooks. Guitars surge and squall on songs like "And I'm Up," but they're also bright and tuneful, and the tune's high-bobbing bassline, upbeat drumming and sweetly morose singing give it a solid indie pop core (not unlike the way The Jesus and Mary Chain hid classic pop hooks in their noise-washed rock 'n' roll). Other songs on Worship—"Alone," "Mind Control," the title track—are more outright aggressive or industrial, but even the harshest of A Place to Bury Strangers' tracks have their obvious charms. It's convincing at any volume—but the louder the better. – Eric Grandy, Google Play

Sorry, but this promotion has expired. Check Magnifier regularly for more free music.