Girl at the Rock Shows

‘Sonic Umami, Vol.1’ starts with “something that sounds cool.” No, seriously. Not only is that the name of the opening track on this album, but it’s also a perfect way to describe this song. The song lays out what is to come. It tells you how to prepare in a way but, more importantly, describes the importance of sound that is to come from the other nine songs from this album. There’s one line in particular during this opening track that really caught me, “… because in the end, it isn’t the credits that will be read, but the songs that lived in your head.” Just let the weight of that small snippet of this genius opening track sink in for a second. The ambiance of the opening track continues to grow and then, eventually, fade in an absolutely stunning way.

As the second track, “spiral” kicks in, you get to start to see the genius behind Pulphonics. It’s a track that will instantly grab your attention but can not really be compared to anything. Bass-heavy instrumentation swirls in the background as mesmerizing vocals come in like waves. Again, a fitting title for a song, this song had me in a trance instantly. I love how the song continued to feel mostly the same but, at the same time, grew throughout the three minutes and forty-five seconds that it lasted, culminating in an almost industrial feeling and bombastic ending.

“visker” changes gears into something a bit brighter and something with a bit more of a hip-hop influence in the drums. That being said, I wouldn’t call this a hip-hop song; it just has the taste of something leaning into that world. Dazzling instrumentation dangles in the air over the atmospheric vibe that Pulphonics creates to perfectly creating yet another track that is so easy to just completely get lost in. The ebb and flow of this track is as beautiful as it unpredictable.

Although I saw the title of the next song, “ghost riders in the sky” and dabbled with the idea of Pulphonics having a cover of the legendary The Doors song, I was still surprised when that’s what this actually was. Pulphonics slow down the song and add an experimental and electronic influence to the song to the point where, if it weren’t for the lyrics, you may not catch that this is a cover song. I loved that and feel like it continues to show the true musicianship and creativity behind this group.

I’ll be honest, “watery moon”, the fifth track on this album, starts off a bit too slow for my personal taste but I love how one part is repeated while intricacies get added with every passing part all ending in a wall of sound that can only be described as Pulphonics. I really like the almost harsh nature of some of the sounds that happen towards the end of this track and how they oddly blend into that more signature atmosphere that is laid out. It creates so much contrast and motion that, although it started off slow, “watery moon” ends up being a stunning piece of art.

Lyrics don’t seem to be the point when it comes to ‘Sonic Umami, Vol. 1’ yet they are something in “home sweet home” that really stood out to me. I promise it’s not because of the almost extraterrestrial tone of the vocals but more the words as they lay out “home sweet home.” There’s a slight sense of swagger that comes through in this song that I had not heard in the previous songs, and I feel like it lends to the overall theme of this track perfectly.

Okay, here’s the crazy thing about Pulphonics, every song title seems to describe the song perfectly and “whispers over the shoulder” is no different. I can’t tell you how this music sounds like “whispers over the shoulder,” but I can only tell you that that’s what was going through my head as this two-minute and ten-second song played. Again, Pulphonics’ play on dynamics is staggering and the depth that the various intricacies behind this song bring to the table is deafening. I didn’t feel that there was a hook that stood out to me in this song yet I found myself hanging on the edge of every passing beat.

“praying” is one of the longest song on this album at just under six and a half minutes and Pulphonics are sure to jam every one of those seconds full of heart and passion. Whether you pick up on that in the vocals that come through a bit strong in this piece of art than previous ones or you pick up on the emotive instrumentation, you pick up on it leading to yet another track that hooks you and puts you in a bit of a trance in all of the best ways. After a hectic and stressful day at work today and long night of concerting to come, “praying” was just the rest and sense of solace that my heart had been looking for and I spent the majority of this song just lost in Pulphonics’ world.

Second to last on this ten-song album is “saccharine”. I felt that the motion in this song related back to “spiral” in such a perfect way but, at the same time, is it’s own song. The way the notes blend together throughout this track is genius. Just when you think that there are too many notes ringing in your ears, the group pulls back and starts the motion all over again. To show such restraint and such genius in just a couple of seconds had me completely floored. As you get into the meat of this song, you are treated with an almost psychedelic vibe. It sounds like a tie-dyed tapestry and smells like patchouli oil but comes with an undeniable sense of energy. I know we are nearing the end of this album but listening to “saccharine” had me mystified just as the first couple of tracks had.

Instead of easing you back into the real world with the last track, “get the work done” leaves you with a stunning sense of energy and fire. Out of all of the songs on this album, this one seemed to be the one that I could relate to the most. I felt that there were recognizable drum patterns hidden in the creativity of Pulphonics giving this final track an almost easy-listening feeling to me. That being said, nothing about this final song is standard. In true Pulphonics fashion, “get the work done” will leave you feeling slightly confused and very intrigued while lighting a fire in your soul to get a bit more creative with your life and to remember that, in the end, there are no rules.

Pulphonics challenge everything you think you know about music in this album and I love that so much. They throw any and all rules out the window and make songs that challenge the listener while also giving them unforgettable themes and vibes. Like they said in the opening track, “…in the end, it isn’t the credits that will be read, but the songs that lived in your head.”

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