Daughters is a standout rock record from Southern Maryland-based act Mattock. Led by the songwriting of Casey Brandt and Jason Fletcher, the home-recorded project blends Americana, indie, and punk with an infectious sense of momentum. The musicians utilized their intuitive, rehearsed energy to track individual parts, resulting in a raw, authentic sound that traverses from psych-friendly rock to power-pop harmoniousness.
“Holy Boat” opens the album with climactic intrigue, as a haunting ambience and bass-y reverberation steadily emerge into a thumping rock fervor. Hazy guitars and debonair vocals move into an erupting, distorted twang as the two-minute turn approaches, achieving a sweltering enthusiasm there, and delighting in the shifts between more psych-ready introspection and those intense bouts of energy. The album’s title track arrives next, achieving a steadier energy in its no-frills rock production. Powerful guitars and heavy percussion swirl enjoyably, with sporadic vocal work easing in with occasional yet impactful allure.
Highlights are abundant throughout, from the bluesy rock suaveness of “Daedalus” to power-pop touched delight “Lil’ Busted Fox,” which we featured previously. “Reptilian” is another standout, invigorating from the get-go with panting percussion and escalating guitar whirring. Jangly undercurrents and roaring tones intermingle, with the concluding minute excelling in the mix of bass-led bustling and multi-layered vocal haunts. Finale “Boring Life,” with its introspective appeal and title-touting culmination, stirs melodically as well. Daughters is a consistently excellent rock album from Mattock.
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“Reptilian” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
