Forged in Denton like many great rock combos – Pearl Earl toted their lysergic sound to Austin for Levitation and frequent local sets, then split between Texas and Los Angeles, in the six years since their debut. Celebrated last weekend with a release show at Austin’s monthly Club X, the long-awaited sophomore album, It’s Dread, tracks a kaleidoscopic journey of the mind that is dreamy, melancholic, and, at times, ominous. Taking the psychedelic surf-rock sound of their 2017 self-titled album, and mixing in a heavy dose of hypnotic crescendos stacked in between reverberating drum fills, Pearl Earl’s latest showcases a dynamic range. Opener “Damage Control” mesmerizes with harmonic vocals and a hefty walk-up bassline that instantly shoots you out of orbit. The title track slows things down with a minor chord progression, gradually built upon by echoey vocals and distorted synth waves – setting the tone for the mind-bending “Alien Brew,” forming a black hole of screeching synth. Wrapping up spaceflight, “You’re Not a God” returns to the atmosphere with a cosmic take on classic Eighties New Wave. The almost six-minute-long final track, “Miss Milky Way’s Mental Breakdown,” masterfully concocts a bright rollercoaster takedown of earthly depravity. Pearl Earl songwriter Ariel Hartley sings: “Oh the country club can smile but it will only last a mile/ And the pageant stakes are high and she wants them all to DIE!“
Pearl Earl
It’s Dread (Green Witch Recordings)This article appears in August 4 • 2023.