Health Palm
| Health Palm | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 📅 Released | 12 May 2017 | |||
| ⏳ Length | 18:50 | |||
| 🏷️ Label | Sniffling Indie Kids, State Champion Records | |||
| Spowder chronology | ||||
| ||||
Buy this album Health Palm or listen to it on amazon
Health Palm is the third studio album from the American rock band Spowder.
Content[edit]
The eight-track alternative punk rock album was released on 28 April 2017, on compact disc with Sniffling Indie Kids, and a limited edition, three-hundred unit vinyl, with hand screened, numbered jackets with State Champion Records. Health Palm is State Champion Records' first release. It was recorded and mixed by Nick Dooley in a barn studio in Vergennes, Vermont, and mastered by Carl Saff in Chicago, Illinois.[1] The album contains high-pitched vocals, rapid-fire percussion, and staccato grunge, and draws comparison to the music of Black Sabbath.[2] The theme of Health Palm is an overseeing being of the universe, who draws nearer at each song.[1] Spowder describes the song "Pastry Changer" as a ballad, "derived from the mean swamp town, delivered with great care to your households to commemorate the man who switches all the pastries to the freshest batches."[3] The song "Miracle Grow" was released as a single, on 20 April.[4]
The record release party for Health Palm was held at a New Brunswick, New Jersey basement show, on 20 April, with Glazer, Kult of Mary, and Bilge Rat.[2] The music video for the song "Miracle Grow" was released on 16 November 2017, and is described as "trippy [and] esoteric [with] frantic and chaotic pacing that's reminiscent of their live performances, but above all else, shows the band in their natural, whacky element doing their own things and having a good fucking time," by New Jersey Racket.[5]
Reception[edit]
A review by Razorcake says the "tunes are driving 'n' loud with more than a hint of garage in 'em, but there's also a bit of swampy, artsy shenanigans in evidence, which gives things an interesting tweak. Good stuff."[6] Bob Makin in Institute for Nonprofit News writes "from the opening burst [...] to the closing artistry of the title-track, the forceful four-piece take the listener on spowderful journey that will clear the sinuses and do the soul a world of good."[2] Impose calls Health Palm a "fuzzy, incendiary, raw punk styling with unhinged lyrical poetry." They describe the song "Pastry Changer" as having "jet-engines-falling-from-the-sky riffs and riveting rhythms [that] sink their claws right into you."[3] Jim Appio applauds the "innovative rhythm section, the wall of bouncing guitar, and McCleary's at times snarling and times yelping vocal delivery," for the song "Miracle Grow," and notes that Health Palm is a "rare studio effort that manages to capture the energy of the band's live performance."[7][8]
Health Palm is listed at No. 6 in The Aquarian Weekly's Top Albums of 2017.[9]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Space Power Over-Watch Destroying Evil Rats" | 0:33 |
| 2. | "Miracle Grow" | 2:34 |
| 3. | "Pulp" | 3:03 |
| 4. | "The Man With Two Mouths" | 2:19 |
| 5. | "Faye" | 0:10 |
| 6. | "Let's Skin Ruby" | 3:41 |
| 7. | "Pastry Changer" | 1:52 |
| 8. | "Health Palm" | 4:08 |
| Total length: | 18:50 | |
Personnel[edit]
- Jamie Houghton – drums
- Jenna Fairey – bass
- Declan McCleary – vocals
- Gillian Smith – guitar
References[edit]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Alvarado, Jimmy (26 November 2018), "Spowder: Health Palm: LP", Razorcake, retrieved 11 April 2019
- Appio, Jim (4 April 2017a), "Premiere: New Single from Spowder. Album out 4/20.", CoolDad Music, retrieved 11 April 2019
- Appio, Jim (21 April 2017b), "Friday Round Up: Spowder, Jeff Caudill, Grey Goes Black, and The Duskwhales", CoolDad Music, retrieved 11 April 2019
- The Aquarian Weekly Staff (27 December 2017), "The Top Albums of 2017", The Aquarian Weekly, retrieved 11 April 2019
- Makin, Bob (20 April 2017), "Makin Waves with Colossal Street Jam, Spowder, Overmind, Brenyama, Taylor Tote and more", Institute for Nonprofit News, retrieved 11 April 2019
- McGuire, Adam (17 November 2017), "Spowder Releases Miracle Grow Music Video", New Jersey Racket, retrieved 11 April 2019
- Mehalick, Mike (2017), "Spowder, "Pastry Changer"", Impose, retrieved 11 April 2019
- Wakefield, Elizabeth (20 June 2017), "Interview: Spowder Summons the Spirit of Rock with Health Palm", Audiofemme, retrieved 11 April 2019
External links[edit]
- Health Palm discography at Discogs
