If there was any show with a lineup tailor-made for A Grrrl’s Two Sound Cents, it would be the record release show that Brooklyn three-piece band Razor Braids played at Knitting Factory last Thursday, in support of the release of their brand new album Big Wave.
While I still very much adore Razor Braids’ debut effort, I Could Cry Right Now If You Wanted Me To, it’s evident that they were still finding their footing when it came to how they wanted to sound. While I Could Cry… is more reminiscent of the Meet Me in the Bathroom-era garage rock that lead singer Hollye Bynum grew up on like The Strokes and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Big Wave sees the band embrace a much more melodic and emotional dreampop sound with softer edges, and even hints of country-western with sprinklings of slide guitar and lap steel. The opening track “I’m Your Meal,” might be the best song The Beths never wrote, while songs like “A Rapture, A Reckoning,” and the title track are reminiscent of groups like Camp Cope and Japanese Breakfast.
The first act of the night at the Big Wave release show was rlyblonde, the solo effort of multi-disciplinary artist Carina Allen. Allen and her band ripped through a buzzing and high-energy set of pop rock bangers, her guitarist Rob Guariglia stumbling across the stage while roaring through some god-tier solos, while bass player Micah Prussack had the biggest dumb smile plastered on her face. It was a beautiful display of camaraderie and full-band synergy on stage, and the audience couldn’t get enough. It even reached a fever pitch where the crowd couldn’t help but voice disappointment and beg for an encore when Allen announced their final song.
The second act on the bill was local indie pop outfit Strawberry Launch, who emerged with their lead singer Riiza brandishing two bubble guns that she fired liberally throughout their set. My favorite part of a Strawberry Launch performance is always being surprised with which pop song they decide to cover on any given night. The first time I saw them it was “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” by The 1975. The second time it was “Hella Good” by No Doubt. And in the true spirit of Pride Month, at this show they played “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn. The remainder of the set was jam-packed with call-and-response singalong moments and infectious solos from lead guitarist Matrianna Gahol.
Once Razor Braids took the stage, decked out in their signature color – crimson red – it was equally momentous and hilariously unserious at the same time. As soon as they emerged, lead singer Hollye Bynum walked up to the mic and said, “Can we get some Chappell Roan playing in here?” Instead, the sound engineer decided to prank them by queueing up Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like A Woman,” the type of crowd pleaser that’s perfect to prank somebody with, because nobody gets mad at you for playing it. The band opened their set with a bang by playing “She,” one of the catchiest, ear-wormiest pop songs they’ve ever written.
Their set continued with heart-wrenchingly emotional and earnest cuts from the album like “B26,” “JR,” and “It Goes Quiet.” On the more high-energy tracks, lead guitarist Janie Peacock was pulling out all the stops with noodly solos, at one point lifting her guitar behind her head and playing it upside down in classic rock star repose. There was no shortage of excellent stage banter either. While introducing “Sharpe Ave,” one of my personal favorite songs from their debut album, Bynum explained how she wrote it about a douchey ex-lover from Nashville, beckoning the crowd to scream “FUCK THAT GUY!” on the count of three.
At the tail-end of the show, the band brought the members of rlyblonde and Strawberry Launch back on stage to perform a harmonious and achingly gorgeous cover of “Night So Long” by HAIM, before closing out their set with the thrashing renegade anthem, “Not Dead, Not Yet.” The face-melting guitar solos, thundering drum fills, and pedals screeching into overdrive culminated in a supernova of pure noise. Then the room went silent for a moment and “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan started playing over the PA, bringing the entire night full-circle.
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