Ohio gets all the best Midwest emo bands, and Palette Knife is out to prove this fact. With a sound that mixes in a good helping of pop punk and math rock, the three-piece band makes a smoother version of the scratchy, yelling Midwest emo we all know and love. It's refreshing and hits just as hard in the feelings and in a musical sense.
Palette Knife has a catchy feel to all their music. They don't lack or oversell themselves with the subgenre of math rock either. I love a good riff that could have been played in a less complicated fashion but feels like a scatter plot and algebra had a love child, and that is exactly what their newest album, "Keyframe," treated me with. The riffs are great and don't overpower the other instruments or vocals but, in fact, work together with them and elevate the song. It's heartfelt and raw, yet doesn't leave you totally depressed about every life choice you have ever made.
The album's flow is nice and smooth. There are a good few songs that are more upbeat and a few that are slower in tempo, which is nice because I love having some sad songs or slower songs mixed in with my bangers. They didn't deprive us of either! Some of my personal favorite songs off the album are "Mimic," "Ratking Genocide," and "ISS." Honestly, for having some of my favorite subgenres and genres in their music, there's something about the slower song "ISS" that I really love. It feels open; the recording style and vocals to this song pull me in. It feels like being at a cafe where they are playing live, or if you were to walk by a house and hear them playing it from their garage, or something in the moment and real. Like hearing it played in a relaxed setting in real time, it feels almost intimate, like a real experience of just them jamming together, not a recording or live on stage.
Music video talk time! The music video for the song "Sleep Paralysis" is just as fun as the song itself! With the band playing energetically in a white room in some scenes, close-up scenes of the singer in the dark, daily tasks, and gaming are all mixed, as each member seems to experience symptoms of insomnia and brain zaps that could mean it's all a dream or could depict the repercussions of sleep avoidance. It's fun, kinda quirky, and matches the band's and song's energy without fail! It's not super deep, but it's not without its own purpose either. I enjoyed it!
Palette Knife has a solid sound and feel to their band! I really can't wait to hear and see what they do in the future! I think they deserve a lot more momentum in the scene and have a lot of area for opportunity and growth! I am excited to be able to watch them develop from here on out!
Meet the Band:
Alec Licata - Vocals and Guitar
Chris McGrath - Bass
Aaron Queener - Drums
