Brand Managers of the Mid-Atlantic is a lot to digest. And not just because of its lengthy title. The album itself has 23 tracks and was recorded over many years (2015-2022). The final six tracks are covers, and it’s more a discography feel than a standalone album, at least to me.
The main sound of the record is post-hardcore with noise-rock elements. Think shouted vocals, aggressive guitars, and tempo shifts that reminds me of a ton of bands I used to listen to frequently but haven’t in a long time: Rye Coalition, Buildings, Pissed Jeans, and more. Heavy in tone, but willing to surprise the listener. “Heiress” and “Amherst” are among my personal favorites, each favoring melodic guitar hooks with some tempo-shifting, post-hardcore grooves that give more texture. It feels layered, rather than spastic -- which is an important detail. This ain’t screamo, and the band is fully capable of slowing down to a sludgy crawl. “Public Transit To Yr Heart” is like a noise-rock version of “(Nothing But) Flowers” (Talking Heads) meets Chat Pile. “Out of Pocket Costs,” a noise jam interlude, gives shades of late Fugazi. “Staples Mill Station” is a great intro song that kicks it all off, setting a fierce tone.
The post-whatever, noise-punk vibes with chunky riffs holds true for the first half, but at “The Weatherman” it starts to change directions a little bit. This song is melodic with more straight-forward pop-punk song structures, minus the group singalongs. The flow on this track (and a few of the other poppier jams) reminds me of Radon with strong, sung vocals and driving chord-driven guitars and timely drum fills. From here on, it balances between poppier, punkier tunes and some noise jams. The poppy songs work nicely, like the sun breaking through the clouds, but without overdoing it.
Finally, things wrap up with a covers series, of sorts, included as digital bonus tracks. This includes new takes on Foo Fighters, The Breeders, The B-52s, and The REPS (a former band) of some Northeast Regional members. These mix it up quite a bit from the originals, some in new formats, a couple more true-to-original. The recurring theme through these is fuzzy guitar and a lot of effects. “Up In Arms” is drenched in reverb. The same for “Give Me Back My Man,” but with an almost industrial rock angle, like if Ministry were covering The B-52s. I wasn’t familiar with The REPS coming into this review, but the songs included here showcase the musicians’ trajectory from poppy sounds toward noisier elements.
Yes, the band name, album title, and instrumental interludes all have a tongue-in-cheek theme. But this record lets the music speak for itself. It’s not a gimmick band in the slightest. Fans of anyone namedropped above should take note. I hear many “sounds of the past” on this record, with a lot rooted in early 2000s noisier rock, circa 2005-2015, hints of 1990s alt-rock and Touch & Go-style stuff, of course, the present day too.
