New trio Closed Mouths release their debut tape tonight

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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Do This / Music New trio Closed Mouths release their debut tape tonight

Posted By Luca Cimarusti on 05.01.14 at 02:00 PM

One of my favorite releases last year was Smile More by local melodic punk four-piece Wide Angles. Like many great bands, though, they broke up shortly after its release, and the four members went their separate ways: bassist and engineer Joe Gac now focuses mainly on his other band, Meat Wave, and guitarist Justin Gutierrez plays in the 90s-worshipping Post Child. The other half of the band, singer and guitarist Chris Gottlieb and drummer Pat Barry, formed the postpunk band Closed Mouths, and tonight they celebrate the release of their new tape with a show at Quenchers.

A trio, Closed Mouths replaces bass with synthesizer, played by Mikey Alesi, who holds down the bottom end. The songs on the brand-new self-titled tape, recorded exceptionally by Gac, are rooted in dark melody and anchored by the rock-solid synth-and-drums rhythm section. Gottlieb's muscular guitar work and sense for off-kilter and aggressive catchiness reminds me a lot of J. Robbins. The tape's nine songs are all great, and I'm finding myself enjoying them even more than the Wide Angles material. I can't wait to see what's next from these guys.

The band has 50 self-released copies of the tape available for tonight. You can hear the whole thing below.

<a href="http://closedmouths.bandcamp.com/album/closed-mouths">closed mouths by Closed Mouths</a>

Closed Mouths headline tonight's show; Shiloh, Empty Isle, and Mraz Volta open.

Tags: Closed Mouths, tape, Quenchers, punk, postpunk, Wide Angles, Meat Wave, release, release show, Image