Cost
of Attrition - There You Go
There
You Go is the three song initial studio release from Indianapolis’ Cost of
Attrition. The band is a two-man outfit that pursue a broad-based sound
incorporating pop, rock/pop, electronica, and metal with convincing authority.
This sort of authority in sound and intent is rare from such a young act, but
Cost of Attrition stand out against whatever scale they’re measured by. Wheeler
Castaneda’s vocals are quite unlike anyone else working in a hard rock/metal
vein while still retaining the necessary attributes to score as a pop singer.
The band’s second member, Joshua Grow, is an eye-popping multi-instrumentalist
who sounds equally comfortable unleash torrid lead guitar lines as he does
laying down sternum rattling drum patterns. Power and feel isn’t the only story
here though. Cost of Attrition may only include three songs with their debut,
but these are three outstandingly arrangement and intelligent songs with a
clear mandate that they easily fulfill.
It’s
a mandate being fulfilled from the first seconds of the EP. “Not Your Psycho”
begins with a snippet of flash lead guitar but quickly settles into a
hard-hitting groove Joshua Grow punctuates with some coherent and undeniably
melodic lead guitar. He never goes overboard after that opening and each
instrumental break has the sort of measured tastefulness longtime listeners
might readily assume with this sort of music. Wheeler Castaneda’s singing is a
huge attraction as well. He combines power and feel together in a memorable
package and there’s a surprising flood of emotion coming through in every line
that makes Cost of Attrition’s songs an entirely different experience than what
we are used to with countless young bands. This duo understands how to get
these songs under a listener’s skin and aren’t shy about doing so.
The
second track “Oh Yeah” has a much more clearly defined commercial slant, but it
also has a better defined groove and moves in slinky, melodically unpredictable
ways. It has much of the same muscular power we hear in the opener, but the
power is applied differently. Castaneda’s singing sounds much more at home with
this song than the first one and the way he plays off the rhythm section is
particularly pleasing. There’s far less lead guitar playing in this song, but
Grow still makes the six string’s impact felt at critical points.
The
title song has the same laser focus that makes the first two songs so memorable
and enjoyable, but Cost of Attrition spikes the pace some and switches out the
electric guitars for acoustic. The results find their mark. Castaneda excels
here as he did in the preceding number, perhaps even more so, and he takes full
advantage of the song’s melodic opportunities to help fully realize the track’s
potential. Cost of Attrition might hail from a superficially unlikely location
for this music, but there’s something of the traditional blue collar Midwestern
rock ethos in their treatment. There You Go isn’t a put on. Instead, it’s
straight-forward from the first and wins over audiences with its earnest
approach.
9
out of 10 stars '
Dale Butcher
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