Pulley
Different Strings
SBÄM
Released: May 28, 2021
Four new major-league tracks from Pulley are coming soon – titled Different Strings, and with a slightly less plugged-in sound. And by slightly less, I mean totally unplugged. Acoustic.
As has been the trend in recent times, Pulley unplug the axes and strap on their acoustic guitars for four unplugged renditions of songs off the 1996 classic Esteem Driven Engine – Pulley’s debut album. I’m not exactly sure where the trend started – or even why, but some of the more notable groups in the skate punk realm have chosen to sling kumbaya style campfire jams, and largely with fairly solid outcomes. Most famously, the acoustic solo careers of the late Tony Sly of No Use For A Name and Joey Cape from Lagwagon. Or, closer to the Pulley camp, Ten Foot Pole’s Simmer Down record.
Now, despite containing just four tracks, Different Strings is still nearly a half-hour’s worth of music. Something old, something new. These songs are among the most well-known tracks from Pulley’s career, and hearing them this way – is pretty weird. For all these years, these songs have been played fast, hard and mean – and now that they’ve been gentrified, slowed down and neutered, I find it hard to listen to them. If these were new songs, I may not feel that way about them. Pulley need to be the way they have always been up until this point – and that is plugged into amplifiers. Again, largely because the brain knows these ditties as something else.
Still, I imagine hardcore fans of the band might well be into hearing a fresh take on old jams. Personally, Different Strings feels like a couple of pals, slamming beers around a campfire and jamming their favorite songs with some good buds. Some artists can pull off the acoustic thing, and some should stick to their tried and tested avenues. Musically, Pulley are as solid and tight as they always are, but these acoustic renditions just aren’t doing it for me.
See Also : Dropkick Murphys “Turn Up That Dial” Review
The idea to play their songs in a paired-down format is something the band has considered for many years and as they found themselves with more time as touring was not possible, the recording process for this release began at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. After a few live streams and acoustic sessions showed them that this format was well received by their fans, SBÄM did not take long to put the acoustic tracks together for this special release.
As most reading this would know, Pulley was formed by vocalist Scott Radinsky‘s when he departed from Ten Foot Pole. Not an uncommon occurrence for a new band to form following a separation from a prior one, but what most certainly is unique – definitely in the punk rock world, is that Radinsky is also a former major-league baseball relief pitcher, whose career spanned eleven years, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians and the Saint-Louis Cardinals. He was also a pitching coach. Not many bands of the genre can boast a professional athlete in their roster.
Following the release of this acoustic record, Pulley have announced that writing for their new album has begun and an announcement on that should be coming soon. While that takes place, pre-orders for three separate vinyl variations of Different Strings can be found on the SBÄM website. No word on a compact disc version though, or a digital version (but that’s fine in my book!).
For Fans Of: No Use For A Name, Guttermouth, Ten Foot Pole
Track Listing:
1. Cashed In
2. No Defense
3. One Shot
4. Silver Tongue Devil
