Hoboken eclectic indie rock quartet The Special Pillow have cram forty years worth of psychedelic rock influences on their new EP World's Finest. Aided by a bunch of friends the total amount of instruments played is quite high, but it all fits.
Whimsical lyrics and catch melodies are the band's forte, delivered with a totally at ease attitude that belies the intricacy of the music. They leaned on the groove of Spanish Bombs by The Clash for I Woke Up - a tune that can make getting out of bed and face the world a little easier - go all out baroque-op for the title track, and the dreamy strings for the pastoral Monday's Puzzle take an unexpected turn in an extended coda. After 25 years The Special Pillow are sure what they want to sound like: timeless pop with lyrics that dig deep and scratch where it hurts if necessary.
The Special Pillow:
Dan Cuddy: bass, vocals
Katie Gentile: violin, viola, vocals
Peter Stuart: guitars, vocals, electric sitar, 8-string bass, mandolin
Eric Marc Cohen: drums, percussion, vocals
Guests:
Debby Schwartz: vocals
Robbie Lee: flute, alto flute, bass flute, and bass recorder on “The Week in Review” and Baroque flute, bass flute, slide whistle, and Renaissance clarinet on “Monday’s Puzzle”
Cheryl Kingan: baritone saxophone and alto saxophone on “World’s Finest”
Steven Levi: cornet on “World’s Finest”
World's Finest is a self-released EP. Buy it (vinyl, CD, digital) from their website.
Tracks:- The Week in Review
- I Woke Up
- Serious Eyedrops
- No Such Too Much
- Monday's Puzzle
- World's Finest
- I Woke Up (High Tunnels Remix)
HCTF review of Sleeping Weird.