To be a fan of John "Speedo" Reis is to know tough love. In the past two years alone, the man has stepped away from not one but two of America's most fierce and fearsome indie-rock bands: brass-balled busters Rocket From the Crypt and the deadly Hot Snakes (itself a recombinant version of prematurely deep-sixed 1990s math-punk heroes Drive Like Jehu, itself a recombinant version of the seminal San Diego punk-rock band that shares a name with this website). But seeing as how Reis has played a hand in no fewer than 20 albums over the past 20 years-- with those mentioned above as well as lower-profile projects Back Off Cupids and Sultans-- it'd be safe to assume the recent demise of his two flagship acts does not portend a lifetime spent on golf courses working on his tan. Ergo, the Night Marchers, a new four-piece-- featuring former Hot Snakes bassist (now guitarist) Gar Wood and drummer Jason Kourkounis, and CPC Gangbangs bassist Tommy Kitsos-- who are essentially to Rocket From the Crypt what Hot Snakes were to Jehu: A more refined, controlled version thereof, in this case, retaining RFTC's affinities for 50s rockabilly romps and punk-rock stomps, but with the muscular riffage stripped down to a more angular jangle, and the brass ballast removed to place renewed focus on the melodies and lyrics (which, ironically, for someone starting down the big 4-0, have become even more depraved). Nothing on See You in Magic constitutes uncharted territory for Reis-- its most righteous rave-ups, "I Wanna Deadbeat You" and "Bad Bloods", could've figured on any of RFTC's Interscope-era records-- but where sensitive, sing-song turns like "Used" once constituted anomalous respites on RFTC records, here they're inching more to become the rule, thus presenting a 20-year vet like Reis with a new challenge: to carry the songs on his vocal cords rather than power chords. It's one he's eager to meet head-on, opting for a clean, unfussy production, with a natural reverb that put the vocals up front and centre, well above the sinewy guitar lines and Kourkounis' swing-beat drums. But if the herky-jerky new-waver "Total Bloodbath", and the "Ticket to Ride"-styled charmer "Partner in Crime" find Reis comfortably adapting to the pop approach, the mix can also leave Reis hanging out to dry, particularly on the smooth '70s-Stones strut "You've Got Nerve", where the droning qualities of his rasp are overemphasized by a chorus that simply repeats the title ad infinitum. And it's just one of a handful of songs here that suffer from that same affliction-- the "oh oh oh oh" breakdown on rockabilly shuffle "Open Your Legs" goes on for a good 20 reps, and Reis shouts out the chorus of "In Dead Sleep (I Snore ZZZZ)" so many times, you'd be liable to do the same if weren't for the ascending, needling guitar riffs pricking up your spine. "Headlights fade but I keep marching on," Reis declares on "Jump in the Fire", an inspired, I-will-survive anthem worthy of becoming his new mission statement. But next time out, he just needs to be careful not to goose-step in circles.
Wavelength
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