the gang checks out a track slipped under the office door …
The Singles Party gang looks at a band that’s new to our world — Pyyramids. Consisting of Timothy Nordwind of OK Go and Drea Smith from He Say/She Say, this group just dropped a new single “Do You Think You’re Enough?” and slipped a copy to Pop-Break to check out. Here’s what the SP crew had to say …
Lauren Stern: Pyyramid’s “Do You Think You’re Enough” reminded me of the times working at a college radio station, listening to sub par music that sounds like pretty much everything else out there. This song was not only dull and boring but was reminiscent of pretty much every garage rock band out there. If this is the kind of music members of OK Go are releasing now, they should quit while they’re ahead and go back to singing and dancing on treadmills. Verdict: One and Done
Jason Kundrath: There’s something cool going on here. I notice several interesting juxtapostions. There’s a punk rock attitude in the performance, but the song is clearly manicured in a way vaguely reminiscent of OK Go’s twisted power-pop. And I mean that as a compliment. Then there’s the fuzzed-out guitar tones set on top of a flat drum machine. I like it. Then there’s the progression itself which snakes around in a strange way, lending the song a darker feel, and giving vocalist Drea Smith ample opportunity to sound both sexy and kinda creepy. It works. Then, there’s the acoustic coda where she goes fully creepy. It made me uncomfortable. But in a good way. All in all, a promising introduction to a band I’d like to hear more from. Verdict: Add to the Playlist
Kelly Gonsalves: One thing that I strangely dug about this Pyyramids track is the cracky, almost purposefully low-quality sound – it reminds me of the way a song sounds when driving with the windows wide open, the wind mixing and blurring out some of the music but at the same time making it feel all the more powerful, all the more real. The fuzzy sound quality resonates well with Drea Smith’s sexy drawl of a voice, something akin to Lana Del Rey meets the Icona Pop duo. The shining moment of “Do You Think You’re Enough,” however, is by far the pace drop towards the end of the song. The mood change is brilliant and highly effective both in placement and execution, going from pounding drum and a mess of bass to a soft acoustic guitar. To be honest, most of the beginning didn’t quite catch my interest lyrically, merely rubbing my musical taste buds the right way in general. It’s only that minute and a half closing sequence, with its one simple lyric repeated over and over, that completely reshapes the tone of the song and provides its sentimental value. Verdict: Add to the Playlist.
Jason Stives: While I feel “Do You Think You’re Enough” has an excellent combination of electro fuzz guitar and a thumping good back beat, the vocal stylings of Dea Smith could elicit a noise complaint and even I found her style a little to monotone over time despite some soaring moments that displayed raw sexuality and matched perfectly with the pulsing sound. Pyyramids sounds like one part Yeah Yeah Yeahs and one part the Kills, which is great but one of those elements doesn’t stay consistent. There is definitely a sound here that is unique but it’s not a song I can see myself putting on a party playlist or even in heavy rotation on my car stereo. I definitely would like to check out more but this one can move along in the line. Verdict: One and Done
Brent Johnson: I’m a sucker for the music of OK Go, a supremely under-loved Chicago pop-rock quartet that churns out funny, melodic, and subtly experimental records. Thus, I was eager to hear Pyyramids, the side project of bassist Timothy Nordwind. And after pressing play on their new single — ‘Do You Think You’re Enough?’ — I was happy to hear a few other things I’m a sucker for: chugging fuzz bass, new-wave drums, and hypnotic vocals (courtesy of Drea Smith). It’s a better recording than a song, but the recording is quite good. Verdict: Add to the Playlist.
Bill Bodkin: Color me torn. On one hand I really enjoyed this song from a musical standpoint. It’s got this gritty, sweaty, garage rock sound that just hums with infectious energy. Then on the other hand, I thought the vocals suffered from a severe case of the ‘whatevs.’ Smith’s vocals seemed as though they were ripped out of the vocal chords of the female singer of a grunge tribute band and that just throws a huge bucket of cold water on what could’ve been a really good track. I’m so torn that I really can’t a strong verdict either way so … I abstain.
Final Verdict: We’re kinda split on this song. We’ve got people who absolutely dig it and others who really, really dislike it. This one’s in your hands folks … let us know what you think, help change our minds!
