Girl at the Rock Shows

It hasn’t even been a year since I reviewed ‘Back Around Again For The First Time,’ yet I feel like I have lived an entire life since that fateful night in June last year. I’m not sure how to expand on that thought and definitely feel like I’ve backed myself into a corner with this as my intro, but there was something almost full circle about sitting down tonight to review The Quivering Palm’s 2023 release, ‘Perpetual Motion Vol. 1’ and it has me so excited to jump in and get cozy into The Quivering Palm’s signature sound.

This EP starts with “Fading Photographs.” After a beautifully spacey intro, you get to hear the emotive vocals of The Quivering Palm. They feel so organic and flowy against the harsher harpsichord sound, banging out chords, creating a juxtaposition that instantly caught me. As the song continues, you see this juxtaposition rise and fall. There are moments where the intensity of the vocals seems to match that harsher tone, but others where it doesn’t, giving this opening track a stunning ebb and flow that makes the five-minute and ten-second long track fly by. On top of that are the words being sung. Like the tone, they are organic and almost whimsical in a way. There are many lines in this track that I really loved, and I just don’t want to bore you reciting every line, so I will say, if you find the instrumentation a bit too harsh (which I could see how you could), just focus on the words because they will absolutely catch you.

Everything changes with “Uninspired,” the second track on this album. To go from the whimsical magic of “Fading Photographs” into the thrash metal-inspired “Uninspired” is, well, completely inspired. Okay, maybe that’s not the right word to use there, but you know I love my tortured puns. This song shows a different side of The Quivering Palm that I never saw coming, even after reviewing their previous release. The sound is abrasive and aggressive. The addition of a robotic chime seemingly randomly placed in this song seems to come out of nowhere as a bit of an oddly placed (and super loud) intricacy, but as you let this song play through, you realize that it may not be as random as it seems.

The brashness of “Uninspired” is flattened out by the quick instrumental interlude, “In the Zone.” This little Diddy is only one minute and seventeen seconds long, but it adds wonders to this release as a whole. It’s a palette cleanser. A chance for you to gather your thoughts before The Quivering Palm plunges you back into their world, and it’s a much-needed one to set the stage for “Bittersweet Escapes” after the intensity of “Uninspired.”

“Bittersweet Escapes” is the fourth song on this album and comes complete with a music video. Although low budget, watching this video as this grunge-inspired song plays adds a little something, so please watch the video while listening to this song. Everything about this song and video (and, frankly, everything that this one-man band does) is artistic and makes you think. Although, at face value, this song is about love and love lost, you can dig into some of the words in the lyrics and imagery in the video to find a whole new meaning. I could tell you everything this song makes me think, but what fun would that be? Check it out for yourself and see what you take away from this slow and steady track that feels straight out of the 90s grunge scene but with an almost noise and experimental leaning undertone.

There may not be a lot of lyrics in “Perpetual Motion,” but there sure is a lot happening in this song. Everything about this song felt other-worldly in all of the right ways. Tones felt unfamiliar, and beats felt almost awkward at times, yet, as a whole, “Perpetual Motion” comes together so perfectly as a whole song. I am no scientist. My knowledge of anything science was quickly lost after high school and only comes up now and again when I watch Big Bang Theory, so I can’t really describe how this song relates to “Perpetual Motion,” but I can tell you that the motion you get throughout this song is stunning and a super cool example of the sheer creativity behind The Quivering Palm. On top of that, it’s just a fascinating listen that is so easy to get lost in.

Closing out this EP is “Number One Hit.” Although I could see the mainstream not considering this a “hit,” I would. This song has the most commercial-leaning sound compared to all of the other tracks on this album, but have no fear– you still get The Quivering Palm’s unique signature throughout this song. There’s a beauty to this slightly Beatles-inspired feeling song, but there is also power that comes through with every beat. Beyond all of that is how this song leaves you hanging on the edge. Although this album may not be for everyone, saying that it leaves you wanting more may not be quite correct; it surely leaves you wanting to see what comes next from The Quivering Palms. Spoiler alert: this album is part of a trilogy, so you only have to wait a little bit longer for the next installment, which should be out in just a couple of weeks.

The Quivering Palm is not for everyone, and I’ll be honest, there are moments when I listen to work from The Quivering Palm and question if it’s for me. That’s okay! I feel like The Quivering Palm is one of those acts that isn’t doing this for everyone else; they are doing it for them, and that adds a sense of beauty and conviction to their albums that makes it a truly spectacular and special listen.

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