Pulitzer Priceless is a band from Chicago, and this is their EP in styles of Midwest emo, with arpeggiated guitar melodies also resembling those of indie rock, and math rock, with unusual rhythmic patterns. The musicians mention that they were inspired by Algernon Cadwallader when it comes to guitars and by Delta Sleep when it comes to vocals.
All in all, the album has quite an optimistic sound, which could remind of summer days or about a video game with pop punk soundtracks. There is almost no drama to the music, and even though it has some melancholic or emotional moments (considering that this is actually an emo record), it’s still quite positive, light, stable and confident. The music also has traditional emo elements like screamo and honest and lyrical tunes in vocals, but everything sounds just like fun. There is also some use of samples which harmonically accompany the music.
Speaking of the tracks, “Honestea” is an interesting piece, with quite an emotional chorus in a nostalgic mood. Track “Freaky Friday Night Lights” has some krautrock features and reminded me of a band called “UI”. And another track, “Kirby Fully Bloated”, which also has a video clip, is a bit more pop, and the verses in the song actually reminded me of The Beatles: with polyphony of the voices and an easy to sing along melody, I guess. This track also has some screamo, and this is quite interesting how these two musical stories support each other in the song.
Recommended for actually anyone and not only emo music fans. The record is a kaleidoscope of traditional Midwest emo and math rock elements, but also has some pop moments to it: especially in the closing track, “Pepto Riffsmol”; this track also has the wall of noisy guitars at the end as well as a trumpet which adds a bit of nostalgic vibes. This way, the EP has many different music ideas, so it’s a pleasure to re-listen and catch even more details.
Out on Outcast Tape Infirmary.
Written by Natalia Es
