- Palomino
- I Feel I Had to Do Something
- Self-released
- By Zach Peterson
 Palomino's debut extended play
gives listeners a first glimpse at a band with equal measures
talent and potential. The Salt Lake City-based quartet, fronted
by lead singer/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Brinton Jones,
presents a lushly orchestrated and well-produced first attempt
in the recording studio. Co-produced and recorded in Seattle
by Shawn Simmons, I Feel I Had to Do Something isn't a
quick attempt at early exposure, or a showcase for record execs
(though it may turn out to be). Here is a fully developed EP,
which is more a short full length than a single followed by filler.
The opening track "Who is On Her Side?" is the strongest
song here, musically and lyrically. Beginning with songwriter
and vocalist Jones' gentle strums and solo voice, the song builds
to an eventual crescendo with electric piano and a tinge of drums.
Jones sings:
You told me to believe in trust
but I moved on
You're out of luck
Lyrically, Jones doesn't stray far from the well-trod territory
of lovelorn laments--including several clichéd references
to angels, but fortunately his voice is a strong instrument in-and-of
itself. His range runs from a low tenor to a controlled falsetto
and works to give weight to even his weakest lyrics. For example,
in "Shades of Gray" Jones muses: "Back in Michigan/there's
this thing we used to say/but we've all gone away." This
line doesn't really make much sense, yet the vocal delivery reduces
the immediacy of the criticism.
The beauty of Palomino's music is in the orchestration. The
rhythm section of bassist Jake Fish and drummer Travis Thurman
backs Jones' voice and acoustic guitar, while lead guitarist/keyboardist
Jake Packard offers complimentary flourishes of guitar lines
and Wurlitzer chords. The culmination is an acoustic-based sound
that isn't stuck in one gear. The pop/funk of "Slowpoke"
gives way to the slow-to-mid tempo pace of "Costa Rica,"
the closing track.
I Feel I Had to Do Something is a mature debut. The
production is stellar, the musicianship top notch and the songs,
even the weakest ("Shades of Gray"), deserve to be
heard.
www.palominocentral.com
Contact Zach Peterson at zapper-at-rockzilla.net
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