SPEAK is a group we've had our eye on since they came out of nowhere with their huge single, "Peaks", last April, but that wasn't the beginning of their story as a band. They'd already been putting out material together for a few years before that, so while it's perfectly alright to be impressed with the fact that these guys can make fantastic music, it definitely shouldn't come as a surprise. Their second full-length, Pedals, has been in a works for a while now, and it's every inch the album you hoped it'd be after listening to songs like "Be Reasonable, Diane", and "This Much I Know". It's got a wide array of sounds, and after setting the bar so high with a string of successful lead-off singles, SPEAK had turned what could have easily been a sleeper release into a full-fledged event. The final piece to puzzle was their latest single, "Gates", which defied all expectations by racking up almost a half a million plays in a little over a month, in the process quieting any lurking worries that they were going to be a one or two-hit wonder with insufficient substance to shoulder the burden of a whole album. As it turns out, SPEAK does have what it takes, because the Austin-based four piece has put together a fourteen-track album that not only artfully expounds on the sounds that we've heard already, but really develops them in a couple different directions. This means that if you liked their work so far, you're going to absolutely love this album, but it also means that SPEAK has avoided monotony by experimenting with various iterations of their sound while still ensuring that they've kept the music in their wheelhouse. Some of the tracks are slower than others, and some are a bit harder-edged than what you've heard before, but none of them will really come as a shock, and all of them will sit well with your ears if you're already a fan. The album starts off with "Gates" and if you're familiar with the band, then this track has already been on repeat for a couple of weeks now. It's the perfect way to kick off the project, and sets the tone for the rest of the tracklist nicely. Next up is "Mystery Lights". It's is one of the songs on the lineup that feels just a tad divergent from what you're used to hearing from these guys, but it's got a darker quality to it that makes it fun to listen to, and contributes nicely to Pedals' very dynamic sound. The next two tracks of note are "Nightlight" and "Oh Lord". They're sandwiched in between some of the already-released singles, so if you're looking for fresh meat, then these are next two on your listening itinerary. Both songs make great use of creative synth work and traditional rock instrumentation, but the real magic lies in the sophisticated songwriting. The lyrics in both songs aren't particularly flashy, and at times they even take the backseat to the band's very accomplished production work, but they're always contributing, and add a sense of depth to both tracks that is hard to match. After track nine ("Be Reasonable, Diane"), it's all new material from there on out, so you'd be well advised to give yourself enough time to soak it all in. However, if time is of the essence, just make sure you don't miss out on "Heavy Metal War" and "The Meantime". Sonically, both are a bit of a departure from the lighter-hearted melodies in in tracks like "Nighlight". However, they're gems in their own right, and are at their best when cranked up to eleven on the car stereo so all that awesome percussion and guitar can stretch its legs a bit. There are some songs that don't need the extra volume to make an impact, and truthfully, both "Heavy Metal War" and "The Meantime" don't, but if you play these two extra loud, you won't be disappointed. So after months of growing anticipation, Pedals is finally here, and we're quite happy to announce that it's got plenty of new material for SPEAK's ever-growing fan base to sink their teeth into. The fact that these guys have been under the radar for so long belies their skill as artists. However, it looks as if the band is finally going to get its moment in the limelight, and if they can keep putting out material of this caliber, then it's probably gong to be a lot longer than the type of fleeting success that most internet sensations have access to. The quality is there, as well as the the expertise, so now it's just a matter of time before SPEAK becomes a standard fixture in the indie-music world. Purchase Pedals on iTunes now.
SPEAK