Sleep Paralysis The latest album from math rock/emo band, Palette Knife, is a windows-down blast of punk rock energy fit for the soundtrack of your summer. Keyframe features plenty of nerdy math rock elements, paired with great guitar breakdowns, and soaring melodies that get back to the early 00’s heyday of when pop-punk was king. The three-piece band from Ohio is Alec Licata (lead vocals/guitar), Chris McGrath (bass/vocals), and Aaron Queener (drums/vocals), and they highlight their growth as a band here. Palette Knife continue to “sharpen their blade” and have made their most immediately gratifying work to date on Keyframe.
The set kicks off with “Phoenix Down”, a song that starts off as a pure instrumental track, and then in the back half it effortlessly blends in some vocals to build things up to the three incredible songs that follow. You can hear some of the band’s influences of artists like Thrice, The Ataris, and The Early November in their unique package of emo rock. The album’s catchiest song follows the sprawling opener, and “Sleep Paralysis” is sure to have you unknowingly singing along to the chorus from your very first spin. The single is built for emo domination and is undeniable in its great song structure and musical execution.
”Mimic” continues down the path of math rock with some noodly guitars from Alec Licata, while Chris McGrath adds in some interesting backing screams to complement Licata’s smooth vocal delivery to round out Palette Knife’s attack. Other songs like “Faultsiphon” are built for success and showcase the improvements in this band’s songwriting. The mid-tempo ballad of “Honors English” wears its emo heart on its sleeve, and as the song accelerates to the finish line, you get the feeling that Palette Knife have figured out exactly the type of band they’d like to be for the foreseeable future.
The back half of the LP never loses momentum, with “Prototype V.2” kicking things off and showcasing what these three musicians are capable of creating when they play to each other’s strengths. “Ratking Regicide” features a steady beat from Aaron Queener behind the drum-kit, while adding some pretty interesting fills in the guitar breakdowns. “Leviathan” is a smooth emo banger of a track that feels a bit like Stay What You Are-era Saves The Day paired with the guitar tones of The Early November. “Limit Break” features some really cool guitar and bass parts and some soaring melodies/vocals to make for a great song to drive and nod your head along to.
The album closer of “ISS” ends Keyframe on a tender note with some acoustic guitar paired with some somber vocals from Licata to leave fans of the band pondering their next move. It’s not every day that you discover your next favorite band, but Palette Knife are easy candidates for your next emo obsession.