Call Out We'll Find You

Founded when mere kids in the 90's, the grown-uppy Sutras started in 2002 as a warbly trio then began adding members, improving the warble to a force. These forces include guitarist/synthman Kevin Denton and guitarist/singer Bruce Hyde, bolstering the mix of everything-ist AJ Strauss, drummer Jeremy Allen, and bassist Mike Smith. This hot retro/metro quartet really is delicious like a rare, strangely frosted cupcake. Rock songs about fighting, cancer, delusions, trick-or-treating, Mr. T and Chips...C.H.I.P.S., that is. The guys wrote the record around missing their founding bass player D-Rock Tripp, who passed unexpectedly. They are fans of a lot of things they're moms probably aren't. This is their third and most mature album, and it's got those nasty guitar tones, but the band always slips in the baby grand piano, even often centering their clever, and often beautiful arrangements around it. Many of the tunes aren't afraid of the tough stuff; divorces, brain problems, and the passing of folks you love. But forget morose, it's proud Indie Rockin' Out, not afraid of most genres, or sounds...it's clever, spunky, mischievous, sexy, and grandiose. Tough growin' up not for the guys to love David Bowie...then love Pavement...then love Belle and Sebastian...then love Radiohead...then go BACK and love ELO. The combo has a lot to listen to but arrangements are tasty and don't you. Vintage synth, guitars, a piano, theremin, trumpets, 5 part vocals, glockenspiel, borrowed cool microphones and cool pedals, all brought to you by four extremely pleasant gentlemen from New York, all of whom have extremely interesting, complex, and diverse biographies. Started partially because the leader was so mad at his parents for not giving him electric guitar lessons after good grades, he frickin' taught himself. They still made him go to piano lessons. This was a good thing, though. Meat-and-potatoes rhythm section meets guitar/keyboardists that are dying to be space tourists. You know how science fiction shows have dudes playing future instruments? Well, we can't bring you that, but we can bring you earnest rock that does the time-tested combo of old and new. We miss Queen and ELO, but man are we glad Wilco and Air came along. Lovable, but the way you love a beautiful pet clicking-beetle.