Within five seconds, the juxtaposition of oddly angelic vocal high notes and dirty, low-end fuzz gives this NYC trio’s third album its reasonably unique selling point.
Audubon is a grab-bag of hip alternative sounds scooped from the past 45 years of rock and pop history, their Facebook page citing Van Halen, Can, Diamanda Galás, Prince, Slayer and The Cars among their inspirations.
Although Audubon is a distinctive, consistent whole, Netherlands’ myriad influences are worn all over their sleeves. There are soulful pop melodies, prog frills, mammoth sludge chords, krautrock grooves, faintly ironic riff-rock posturing and a spacey industrial vibe bolstered by the use of synth bass, delivered with eccentric noise-rock abandon. Timo Ellis has a voice that channels a dozen singers in one song, contributing to the sensation of being beaten about the head by an impeccable record collection.
