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These guys knocked me for a loop in the studio and the musical evidence on their first disc affirms that they're indisputably guilty...of delivering a wide-ranging, ear-jangling, soul-stomping debut CD.
This band will prove tough to pigeon-hole since the songs cover such a broad spectrum: heavy guitar alt-rock (Smoke Signals)...funk rock (War Against the World)...soaring melodies & summery nostalgia (When I Dream About the Beach)...hard-knockin' alt-country (Nashville)...and primal lust-inspired punk with a catchy falsetto chorus (Golden Flowers). And there's more where that came from...
The Symbolics are based in New York City and have been playing NYC clubs since late 2003. The band brings together a unique blend of influences; it's a mix that produces a consistently driving rock sound — yet one that also enables them to veer off into an ever-ever land of sonic exploration on the rock n roll landscape.
The source material — the songs — are by guitarist/singer Paul Braus, a New York native, who has also been a member of NYC bands the Dudebeats, Killion Miles and the Flat Planets. While Braus' influences could best be summed up as rock, rock and more rock, the other guys bring their own skills to the table.
Bass player Tee-rock, hailing from Washington, D.C., describes his playing on these tracks as: "funky rock style." He also calls himself an "old school" bass player. True that...Tee-rock is versatile and creative and lays down a great groove.
Toronto, Canada-born drummer Darcy Macrae is a formally taught musician with a degree from Boston's Berklee College of Music on his resume. Macrae has worked in jazz, rock, latin and big band settings — to name a few. You can hear him sneaking in some of those influences in and around the steady rock beat he's pounding out the rest of the time.
Tee-rock and Macrae each have contributed music-expanding ideas, bass lines, drum fills, and arrangement schemes to add to those that Braus brings to the table in the form of his songs. The result is a unique D.C./NYC/North-of-the-border 'rock 'n roll creation' (with apologies to Spinal Tap).
And I'd be remiss not to give a shout-out to engineer/musician extraordinaire Doug Maxwell who (while he wasn't adjusting the knobs in the studio) laid down beautiful keyboard and piano riffs on a number of the tracks. Check out that soulful Hammond B-3 organ on the bridge in "Nashville"!
I look forward to working with these guys again. They'll never be predictable in terms of style. Based on what I've heard so far, I know the one constant with these guys will be top-notch songwriting and musicianship — which makes producing them a heck of a lot of fun.
Shorty Smith
Producer