RAINBOW FACE

Opening with a grandiose number entitled "Left Behind," Rainbow Face begins the proceedings with a decidedly Floyd- ian theme that soon gives way to a thrilling mix of circus calliope over an intricate bass line. For all of its fun and off- time quirkiness, however, the song is oddly catchy in a way that is remarkably similar to the work of fellow Portland- ians The Mercury Tree. This turned out to be no coincidence, as drummer Connor Reilly tows the rhythm section in that outfit, as well. Nonetheless, it's important to note that whatever similarities exist between the two bands are more in terms of their creative spirit than anything explicitly musical.

"Automation" begins with a shuffling guitar riff before taking a full-on plunge into odd time signatures and frantic vocals. Later moments see the band dwelling in psychedelic territory, until they jump back into the fray and expertly resolve the song with a triumphant melody. Third track "Virus" throws a curveball with some classic punk overtones, a la The Clash. That all changes, however, with a tight segue at 3:52 that leads into a sort of "ebb and tide" between quieter post-punk sections, frantic Dead Kennedys-inspired mayhem, and fuzzed-out guitar solos.

"My Crusade" shows a bit of Squid's aesthetic, with an infectious chord progression that quickly dissolves into a simmering pool of discord. It is here that the band employs a full spectrum of dynamic contrast to create an atmosphere that is oddly poignant and introspective. All bets are off at 2:43, however, as guitarist and vocalist Jake Rose breaks into a riff that recalls the work of Boud Deun's Shawn Persinger.

Fifth track "Borders" features an arpeggiated minor-key riff, with vocals not unlike those of Adrian Belew or Thought Industry's Brent Oberlin. The keyboards on this track evoke visions of a slightly brain-damaged Greg Hawkes (ex-The Cars) before moving into a powerfully epic theme that shows strong chemistry between Rose and bassist Dominique Reveneau. Angular riffs continually build and build as the intensity reaches a fever pitch, eventually bursting into a skronk-y fireball of chaos and doom.

A rollicking drum pattern introduces "Ransom," which is soon accompanied by a quirky fusion-based riff by keyboardist Salvador Altamirano-Farrell. As guitar and bass join over the first verse, the melodies begin to frantically whirl and spin into a delightfully entropic mass that almost seems spiritual at times. This song truly showcases the band's compositional genius, with later sections alternating between jazzy, marimba-like sequences, subtle piano themes, and heavier riffs that border on progressive metal.

Closing track "Drown" sports an intro that is oddly dreamy yet grounded, not unlike Radiohead's more pensive moments. Soft piano, organ, and clean guitar dominate this track until just before the halfway mark, when they throw in various twists and turns that are guaranteed to keep you guessing. The song exhibits multiple stages throughout its eight-minute duration, and it sports some fantastic melodies along the way. It is worth mentioning that the musicians show considerable restraint here, as "Drown" never becomes flatly aggressive. Had they allowed it to end in a display of noise and fury, the emotional impact would have been lost.

While there are occasional parallels to Reilly's gig with The Mercury Tree, Rainbow Face is undoubtedly its own free- standing entity. In fact, I would rank Enjoy This Ruin as one of 2024's best progressive offerings without reservation. Here's hoping that their journey has just begun, as I can't wait to see where they go from here.

Reminiscences of Torment

Yes, I'm aware I've used some dramatic phrases already- and for good reason as I'll explain.

If RAINBOW FACE excels at anything (and they do) it's the liberal use of intertwined lyrics and music to convey drama, desperation, and madness.

Whether it's the dirge-like doom-filled passages in "That Old Gang of Mine", or to stay on that particular example, the jarring dissonance between what might be read as sweet reminiscence of days gone by, but set to dark gloomy instrumentals, RAINBOW FACE paints stark, emotional images with deft musical strength.

RAINBOW FACE

This Oregon, USA trio? Quartet? formed in 2015. On their Bandcamp site three members are listed: Jake Rose: guitar, vocals; Dominique Reveneau: bass; and Salvador Altamirano-Farrell: keyboards and synths, sound design (whatever that means).

At another place, Conor Reilly: drums, is added.

Concept Album?

Here I go out on that shaky reviewer's limb- yes, I call this a concept album, starting with the Pirates lament opening with waves and sea-going sounds, moving into heavier musical waters with the clean voice devolving into harsher tones, cinematic scope of full band in motion- to the final despairing suicidal death-is-release old-timey folk-song Massaged by Bullets- of that same disgraced soldier (?) questioning his/her every martial decision.

And In Between

Songs flow one into the other, and often with ambient sounds and- perhaps TOO often- with chaotic musical hellscapes.

I'm hearing themes of anti-war/militarism, the wantonness of destruction (the devastating The Fighter Pilot with joystick drone 'warriors'), lost loves- and the longest track (and for me the epicenter of the album) Waves.

In this particular track we hear the promise of RAINBOW FACE- an extended instrumental opening with chiming electric piano, wandering bass line, soon adding punchy bass guitar, precise and tasteful drumming, and soon full keyboard sounds.

There are surges and subsiding- much like the central image of the sea in this recording- clean voice and harsh voice sounds, all of which illustrate the sense of drama and desperation this band ably evokes.

I fairly often do not care for harsh vocals, yet I acknowledge that there are places- and here THE WHO and "Won't Get Fooled Again" provide an example- where screams or harsh vocals can be germane to the music. Here, these screams are illustrative of the increasing madness in the main character- the disgraced, tormented, lonely pirate/soldier.

So, in this context, they work.

Comparisons?

I'm not sure that would be helpful here. I thought the band's signature (as I've hopefully outlined above) is pretty unique. There were some moments I thought of "Aviary", a fairly obscure pomp-rock outfit from days of yore- but RAINBOW FACE seemed to me to have its own developing identity.

Some Caveats

Here's why I'm going with 3.5 stars. There's much to like in this debut release. Drama, intertwined music and lyrics- which thank heavens the band makes easily available, fine musicianship, compositional skills, passion and power- a great debut.

I didn't care for the 'Wurlitzer' organ sounds as I'm partial to the Hammond. I thought from a compositional standpoint this band settled sometimes for fairly simplistic sequences, when their track "Waves" gives away the kind of complexity that RAINBOW FACE can pull off, not for the sake of complexity, but to push themselves to go beyond- to progress- and to add heft, which is already considerable.

In Conclusion

Better than 'good', not quite 'excellent' but certainly knocking on its doors- this debut release from RAINBOW FACE (and by the way, in this age of increasing awareness of diversity, I love this name) shows considerable promise and already some considerable power.

Sail on!