By DONNA BALANCIA
You don’t have to wear a blindfold to appreciate the new music by “Bird Box” writer Josh Malerman and his band.
Malerman and The High Strung have released a great, 13-track album Quiet Riots.
Malerman is the founding member of The High Strung, which consists of fellow Detroit players Derek Berk, Mark Owen and Chad Stocker, and Clevelander Jason Berkowitz.
Check out The High Strung website and new music on Bandcamp.
‘Quiet Riots’ – Sgt. Pepper Meets The Kinks
The album has a cool throwback sound and blends a Sgt. Pepper-Kinks vibe with upbeat psychedelia.
Not surprising to know Malerman creates sounds reminiscent of the 1960s given his penchant for that era’s style, at least in storytelling.
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But this is not a first dance for this group. The band formed nearly 20 years ago and has some impressive music credits. Anyone who ever watched “Shameless” will know the dark-pop theme song by The High Strung called “The Luck You Got.”
Enlightening and Important Songs on ‘Quiet Riots’
The songs are enlightening and tackle compelling subjects. The variety of music the album puts out there is refreshing. The tracks range in style from folk anthems like “Hope Explodes” to the Flaming Lips-y opener “Riots Of The Mind,” to groovy warning rocker “Eavesdropped Upon Again” — and a lot in between.
The High Strung benefits from a boost with the hype and marketing buzz that Malerman’s movie “Bird Box” has been getting since its Dec. 21 release on Netflix. But this music stands on its own.
Good to know some of the people making it out there today actually have talent.
The band will perform at a dual record release party at UFO Factory in Detroit on Jan. 12.
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Quiet Riots
Recorded at The Tempermill, Ferndale, MI
Produced/Engineered/Mixed/Mastered- Jim Diamond
Oct. 2017 and Jan. 2018
Songs written by Josh Malerman and Mark Owen
Personnel -Josh Malerman, Derek Berk, Mark Owen, Chad Stocker, Jason Berkowitz, Stephen Palmer.