The Spider Accomplice - Los Angeles: The Abduction

The Spider Accomplice - Los Angeles: The Abduction 

BANDCAMP: https://thespideraccomplice.bandcamp.com/album/los-angeles-the-abduction 

This is the sort of rock release that makes you believe again. It has everything. When questionably sage figures like Kiss bass player Gene Simmons are pronouncing the death of rock music, Los Angeles based trio The Spider Accomplice bring everything to the table. They have the songs, vocals, and presentation to make them a profound force on the modern music scene. These songs transcend mere rock labels, though they will undoubtedly appeal to a broad base of rock fans. Instead, these songs are never abrasive enough, pulse with enough fury, and push listeners along with compelling melodies to win over countless fans of every genre. This is deceptively sophisticated music delivered in a direct way and the songwriting has a focus that never lets up. Los Angeles: The Abduction is the second EP in the band’s Los Angeles Trilogy and the six songs compromising this collection deserve your attention. 

You know you’ve encountered something special from the EP’s first cut alone. “Bromlaid” lays out much of the EP’s emotional mood without ever biting off more than it can chew, but it’s clear from the expansive guitar textures and fiery interplay between the players that there’s more than a little ambition here to burn. They carry it off quite nicely, however, and it’s clear from her emphatic and highly skilled performance that vocalist VK Lynne is an integral part of the band’s presentation. It’s seldom clearer than on the album’s second song “Messy Vampire”. Lynne tears into this dark tale as if her life depended on it and the band plays with equal artful, but lusty, abandon. It’s one of the best rock songs on the EP, but there are even stronger cuts to come. “Behold the Day” and “You Still Lie” are quite a study in contrasts. The first is an unusual and highly atmospheric song with memorable guitar work and another outstanding vocal from Lynne that keeps a tight focus on what the song needs. The second song, “You Still Lie”, has a much more commercial thrust without ever sinking into just offering up clichés and poses for listeners desiring such a track. It also plays like one of the EP’s more personal cuts and Lynne’s awesome passion underscores that without ever being too overwrought.  

“Going Over” is another notable contrast. This is, perhaps, as sensitive as The Spider Accomplice gets on this release, but that doesn’t mean it stands out as some misconceived anomaly on the release. Instead, it offers listeners a chance to hear this unit confidently take an unique turn. The ending number “Hollywood Hotel” begins with an extended spoken word introduction, complete with ambient sound effects, before it blisters the skin with a furious rock attack that makes the earlier “Messy Vampire” sound wimpy. That’s not an easy feat. There’s plenty here on this EP, however, that’s easy to like despite the challenging nature, outside the box, of the material. Dedicated musical fans will welcome this outside the lines approach to the rock genre at this late date and it’s equally likely that those who’ve never heard this trio will be just as impressed. This is an exceptional release on every count. 

9 out of 10 stars 

I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/los-angeles-the-abduction-ep/id1159575049 

Bradley Johnson