Planted firmly in the guitar rock of the 90’s (think My Bloody Valentine, or Hum, or the Cure), Palm Tree In Moscow reaches for new “Heights” in their latest EP of the same name. It is four songs, with heightened attention to production detail, that hits you like a brick and caresses you like a cool breeze. “Why am I awake? / Why do I feel this way?” Chris Frantz, the mastermind behind PTIM, opens the album. And that’s what the first song does, straps you in right from the get-go for what will be a twenty minute roller coaster ride, that thrills with its expertly-crafted distorted rock, fit with time signature changes and the loud/soft dynamic that the 90s are known for, as well as his bare all lyrics.
“Learn to crawl before you fall / I’m scared of heights anyway,” is the chorus to the opener. And his choruses are always the highlight of his songs: catharsis for already cathartic rock. It’s hard to pick a favorite on the album, as each song captures a new and interesting theme and capitalizes on super emotional guitars, vocals, and drums. It’s a strange thing to say that his in-your-face rock n’ roll is a “grower” and not a “shower.” But these are songs that grow on you, like an addiction, with each listen.
“Even if you walk away / Can’t knock the shine off,” Chris sings in the Cure-reminiscent second song, “Iridescent.” His songs deal with life’s anxious dance between love and loss, fight and flight, but, like he sings, shine brightly nonetheless. “Mainline nostalgia, a hell of a drug,” he sings in the same song. There is something certainly nostalgic about his modern music, but there is something completely original that pulls you into the here and now. He’s something of a mainstay in the Baltimore scene, but I wouldn’t be surprised if his unique blend of old and new “shoe gaze” alternative rock doesn’t wow people throughout the country. It’s a hard game, making it as a musician in today’s saturated market, but I think PTIM has what it takes to compete.
Prism Reviews 