Review
Crooked Necks
Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't

Handmade Birds (2011) Bob

Crooked Necks – Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't cover artwork
Crooked Necks – Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't — Handmade Birds, 2011

Going in to this album blind seems like a fun proposition for me (Handmade Birds has introduced me to a plethora of new bands this year) because discovering exciting new bands is one of my favorite activities, and let me tell you, Crooked Necks were another huge surprise that thankfully did not fly under my radar for me to regret not hearing sooner; the band (A two-piece) deliver their debut full length, Alright Is Exactly What It Isn’t, by following a strange trend that I have been noticing lately.

Alright Is Exactly What It Isn’t is another album from a formerly metal musician or musicians moving into pop music territory without losing that heavy edge nor come across as cash grab of any sort, and it may be because of these “qualities” that Crooked Necks injects something new into the bloated and overly flogged corpse of pop music. The eight songs here can be characterized by mostly quiet (with the occasionally loud moment or two) slow to mid pace tempos that function well when taking into account the jangling guitars and quiet bass (also some smatterings of ambient noise sits just under the surface in some of these compositions), but the jarring aspect of this album has to be the full on screamed vocals that slash their way through these often pretty tunes while the clean or sung vocals seem dominated by this sore thumb sticking out (though it completely works somehow); listen to “This Place Is Violent”, “Taste The Sounds” (with its almost bouncing beat), or any of the other tracks on Alright Is Exactly What It Isn’t, and you will understand exactly what I mean (though, the faintly electronic nuances to “Every Step Seems Backward” is a bit different and a nice elemental addition to their stew).

Putting my finger on Crooked Necks is a difficult proposition now even after listening to Alright Is Exactly What It Isn’t a bunch of times and that is fine by me because not everything needs an explanation; so stop your complaining and questioning, pop the album on your turntable, sit back and enjoy the album for what it is, excellent.

8.0 / 10Bob • December 12, 2011

Crooked Necks – Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't cover artwork
Crooked Necks – Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't — Handmade Birds, 2011

Related features

Crooked Necks

Interviews • February 18, 2012

Related news

New A Day In Black And White Song Posted Oh Em Geez

Posted in MP3s on December 13, 2004

Advertisement

DCxPC 2025

Recently-posted album reviews

Chat Pile

Cool World
Flenser (2024)

The great American experiment has a wide range of experiences, but it tends to focus on the coasts. There are countless dystopian pieces of art, often culling from a Warriors-esque concept of urban grit. Chat Pile play dystopian, brutal noise-punk, but from a distinctly middle American point of view where instead of civilians shadowed under dense skylines, their anonymity instead … Read more

The Anomalys

Down The Hole
Slovenly (2024)

If I have to give the elevator pitch, I’ll call The Anomalys garage rock with an ear for surf and psyche rock -- turned up to 11 and blasted through blown out speakers in an old 1980s sedan. It’s high-energy, no-frills rock ‘n’ roll with attitude. While it’s short, loud and fast, there’s also quite a bit of nuance and … Read more

Pinhead Gunpowder

Unt
1-2-3-4 Go! Records (2024)

Pinhead Gunpowder began in 1990, recording a 7” in 1991. The band last released a 7” in 2008… Until late 2024 when the band returned with the 14-song full-length Unt. So congratulations if you had “we get a new Pinhead Gunpowder record before a new D4 record on your bingo card. (These two bands released a split 7” in 2000 … Read more