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PLID – Dream Logic (2007)
Since my teen years all occurred in the 1980s, it would be nearly impossible to NOT have an opinion on new wave music. I was not ambivalent on the subject – I was passionate! Even though I never identified with the awful clothing, the token self-loathing, or the make-up caked upon men whose sexuality was nebulous at best, I was a hopeless sucker for the music of Real Life, Human League, Yaz, A.F.O.S., Echo & The Bunnymen, Cabaret Voltaire, . . . it's a long list. I was a synth-music junkie and I didn't care who knew it – even my jock buddies who were blaring Foreigner and Ratt from their jam-boxes.
That was the mid 80s, but this is now.
So who comes along 20 years later? PLID does. Houston-based PLID (Paul Lynde Is Dead), while not the first outfit to attempt retro-wave, brings back goose-bumpingly accurate renditions of the FEELING we got when we heard Depeche Mode for the first time. Except PLID executes the style with a modern iteration of electronic (thank God for digital, right?) These elements of 'classic' and 'modern' come together gloriously in PLID's first full-length release, Dream Logic.
Dream Logic features plenty of phasing, flanging bleep-blops, fat wormy bass lines, and melodies whose insane RQ (that is, Repetition Quotient) may leave you literally unable to stop singing them in your head (see 'Pretty Obvious' & 'Fast Machines' in particular). Though you may cuss your plight and drive others crazy as you sing them over and over, I doubt there's an apology forthcoming from the band.
When you hear Dream Logic for the first time, comparisons to Erasure are inevitable (a la Jet & AC/DC). There are the impossibly catchy pop songs ('Halcyon' & 'Pretty Obvious'), the philosophical quandary songs ('Trust the Process' & 'Means To An End'), and your playful electro-rushes ('Robots', 'Sawtooth Baby' & 'Disconnected'). Despite the Erasurian overtones, PLID distinguishes itself as a stalwart among producers of modern electro-wave. How? By boldly pushing every envelope it can find. By providing electronic pop songs we can actually listen to, dance to, and sing along with. By giving us Dream Logic as a year long present for 2007. Thanks guys!
If you're lucky enough to see PLID perform live (Chris Patton, Frank Ortiz, and Eric Dano), you will see what can only be described as an engaging, thespian-esque performance with enough pose-striking to make Madonna proud. But before you accuse them of being 'all show' – check out their vocals. On pitch with no auto-tuner? A novelty these days to be sure . . and they can all sing; lead, harmony, a cappella, you name it. Amid the vocal gymnastics, Frank navigates the electronics with aplomb, Chris pokes and dabbles upon a wireless keyboard just for fun, and Eric writhes around the stage, looking for someone to seduce, impress, or shoot with his toy ray gun. Loads of fun!
Check them out at: www.myspace.com/plid or www.plidsound.com
Reviewed by Jeff Timpanaro (Skandalon -- www.skandalon.com)
1/30/07
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