pulses. - Speak series deep dive

Well, I’ve teased it for weeks, but it’s finally here. Before we get too deep into this I want to thank this band for being the most involved in what I’m trying to do here. I know a “thank you” per post probably feels effortless but for someone finally figuring out the role they want to play in the music scene it’s nice to be noticed by the artists I talk about here. Thank you Caleb, David, Kevin, Matt and all else involved in these projects for making music worth musing over and for taking the time to notice what I’m doing. Now that the gratitude is out of the way let’s get into my history with this project.

In the earliest form of this thing I do, it actually started with just me trying to discover new music. In the Spring or Summer of 2020 I asked the Lead Singer Syndrome All Access Club (shout out Shane Told) to provide me with any music at all released in the current year. I got a lot of stuff and listened to each and every record and got a lot out of it! That was the beginning of this blog. I started a series called “2020 Catch Up” which, admittedly didn’t go too far but it gave me the footing for what I wanted to do. That became this. Me listening to 13 hours or more of music a week to report back on what I liked most. How does pulses. fit into this? Well, in that very thread there was a kid self promoting his band’s new record, asking me if that was okay. (I apologize, I wish I could remember which of you it was.) I listened to the record and it blew me away, being one of the few on the massive list that really stuck with me. That record was Speak it into Existence which will be the first of the three releases we cover below.

Back in my top albums of 2020 list I did list SiiE as #6 of the year overall so none of this is a secret at this point. However, in that posting I felt I undersold that record a bit, even at the time of writing it. The other nine albums I gave such passion and raving about and it was hard to put I felt about this one into scope. I think now, having listened to the Speak “trilogy” so much I can see these releases for what they are. So, what I’d like to present to you, is a triple review and sort of deep dive into what makes these songs so special. We are going to go over SiiE, it’s remix record (but not as a record, more as a collection of remixes of the originals, sorry boys.) as well as the spiritual successor EP, Speak Less, that came out just about a month ago at this point. So, without further adieu, let’s dive into SiiE and it’s remixes.

The album opens with a title track actually that has a ringing guitar riff intro and an amazing bassline throughout. Lyrically we get a pretty good blend of what you can expect to see on this band’s entire discography which is funny, witty one liners, sort of like what you’d hear on a light hearted hip hop track. To give a favorite example here just turn the record on and listen closely to the very first verse. In contrast on the last stretch of the song we get a very nice, very inspirational spoken word passage so it isn’t all goofs and gaffs. Other than that the track is strong to lead us off, sort of Swancore adjacent. (I’m sorry guys.) That sweep-scale ending is just beautiful as well. In the remix of this track we open with the spoken word section which I feel puts a very nice emphasis on it. The harsh screams are made to be a very nice lead for a relaxing piece of trance. The bass continues to be great and we even get a very cool, very vibey flute instrumental.

The next track, the winner of the pulses. March Madness showdown and the birth of the famous “alright pulses., what are we doin’?” meme is Louisiana Purchase. That intro bit leads into a heavy, fun instrumental and makes that meme almost feel like a mosh call. The verses here are funky, wonderful and just flat out a great time to listen to and the hip hop sensibility is still there but this time even the vocals almost feel like rap metal as well. The pre-chorus is almost nostalgic in that it takes me to a different time in the genre while the chorus itself is so stacked it’s really hard to do justice with words. We get another spoken word bit here but this time with much more of a post-hardcore feel. We get yet another meme-mosh call and I just have to point out this is a very mosh-able track, really can’t wait to get on the floor for this one. Just to keep things fresh we get a club-beat outro that even references the pit itself for emphasis on… you know, the thought I’m persisting on the track. The remix of this one really extends the club outro very well turning just that idea into an entire dance track. That and the drum & bass and vocal breakdown leading into the meme work just as well on this one.

We get more of an upbeat, emo sound on the following “Sometimes Y.” Something interesting to me on this one is a similar, unexplainable sensation of nostalgia I get off this record kind of like the track before it is present here too. Maybe the boys will feel me on this one. Do you remember back in the day when you would download bands' music off of Limewire and once in a while you’d get some kind of leaked, unreleased demo version instead of the real track? When you finally heard the real song the professional production made it sound so fresh and new? That’s what I get off this song for some reason, except I don’t have the demo to make me feel that way. Especially when the chorus hits and the “your bike got two speeds, coming and going” line comes through. All that stuff aside I really enjoy the rolling guitar riff and the danceable instrumental that leads into Max Bemis’ feature. Which, by the way, Bemis’ part is very cool in that it almost does sound straight out of a Say Anything song but still keeps that pulses. flair. His part is once again further upgraded in the remix of this song where it sounds soft and like a lullabye. The second half of the track feels peaceful too but in more of a tutorial of a video game sort of way.

“Exist Warp Brakes” is a true festival song and it’s a shame pulses. didn’t have Warped Tour to unleash this thing to its full potential. With its crowd call outs and call backs, the horns and the lyrics literally being about having fun in a live show, (God, some day.) it actually makes for a real Warped anthem. Sonically I have to applaud the drums and vocals especially they’re really putting in work on this one. The chorus is so hard to listen to without dancing in some capacity so I guess the track does its job. The breakdown here has more hip hop vibes with the funky basslines and it references moshing yet again. This may very well be, to me the perfect pulses. song and would be my go to recommend for anyone looking into the band. My only gripe with the track is I’m just never into fade out endings. The remix breathes new life into already great percussion and turns a mosh anthem into a dance one. The track is sort of like the embodiment of the kazoo kid meme in the greatest possible way, I just picture that video every time I hear the horns here.

“Mt. Midoriyama” is another one that opens great percussion wise and follows up with a funky instrumental. Very low key vocal melody accompanied by nice drums & bass (God the bass in this song.) before we’re welcomed back to the norm. Later in the track even amongst the post-hardcore chaos the clean vocals find a way to be relaxed making for a nice contrast. The chorus here sung by Sierra Binondo of With Sails Ahead may have one of my favorite melodies on the whole record and it’s delivered absolutely beautifully. The crowd cheering at the end and a few moments prior just really make this feel like a live band, which, I know I’ve alluded to before but the energy comes through so clearly. The crowd itself is used as a nice key piece of the remix as well.

One of the strongest post-hardcore moments on the entire record is “Olivia Wild” every member is putting their 100% here. The intro is just flat out hype and the vocals overall are honestly sort of hard to keep up with in the best way. Even in the more relaxed sections of the track there is sweeping, fast guitar scaling so you don’t get a moment to rest. In a lot of ways this track presents the same ideas found on “Sometimes Y” but with a heavier flair to it all. The breakdown here is a bit more classic and continues on the ideas brought forth by the song’s intro but it still feels nice, still feels heavy, still feels like pulses. The remix of this particular track is my favorite, I think, of them all. It starts very simple and very much like we’ve heard before with screams accompanying a fire beat. Then all of a sudden the bass turns way up and it becomes a straight out hip hop song with very comical, witty bars. This is another moment that gives me nostalgia for a very specific part of scene history where mash ups were a thing. Not that pulses. is mashing up with anything but the way the song is cut to a different genre of track altogether reminds me of projects like the Legion of Doom. The utilization of the crowd as a drop is such a nice choice as well.

“Good Vibes Only” has such a catchy hook that everyone I show it to gets it stuck in their head. Remix on this one is self aware about how good “keep it. S I M P L E” truly is constructing a whole song around just that. Not much to go over here, it is a pulses. song through and through. Has some beautiful, soulful vocals and the lyrics here are incredible even when they’re about… literally nothing.

The following “Don’t Say Anything, Just RT” is possibly the heaviest we get (for a moment) so far but even in a fairly “normal” post-hardcore setting we keep it pulses. with record scratches and that same cunning. This is a song you are going to want to enjoy with headphones based on that spoken word bit. I am for sure a sucker for sax in the scene in general but its just so well done here. Remix is just a straight vibe as well.

From tracks 9 - 11, not that these aren’t fantastic songs that deserve your time and attention, the record hits a comfortable plateau. Again not that that is at all a bad thing it just takes the records best ideas and continues to drop absolute heat as you go down the list and the remixes of those tracks are no different.

We end things off with more of a slow one, in true post-hardcore fashion, with “Graduation Day.” Opens with booming percussion and a nice, ringing, decomposing riff. The track keeps up with the pace in the same attention-holder way we’ve been taken through on the whole record just with a different mood about it. The riff coming back around as well as the distant screams make for a very nice send off. I want to commend this track lyrically as well since it's the most straight-forward song we get. Not quite laced with metaphors and the like this one talks about a mundane existence which, especially right now and for the past year, most of us can relate to. The remix is another lullabye one but it’s very well done.

That covers SiiE as well as it’s remixes. Clearly this record has had a lasting impact on me being within my top records of all of last year. (I included the remixes in that list as well.) But that was last year. Let’s look at the present day. In late February of this year (that’s 2021 if you're in the future currently) pulses. released the sequel, spiritual successor to the record with their EP Speak Less. This one took more of the heavier side of the scene and ran with it in that direction and is a 12 track, 18 minute release. Much in the style of Silverstein’s 2012 record Short Songs (same month too, fun fact.) this project takes an idea for a part and just lets it ride out as the track as opposed to trying to craft an entire song out of it. That being said the write ups on these tracks will be a little more to the point but that’s just because the tracks themselves are.

The first teaser for the EP was a music video for the song “Bold New Taste” which also included the album’s intro track “Absence of Evidence.” Right from the start, even if you didn’t know this was a companion piece the music makes you firmly aware by repeating the same riff and closing line of “Graduation Day” and frankly really turns the outro of the record into a more fleshed out piece of art. “Taste” is a true to form pulses. song just in a much heavier, nastier sense, which, is appropriate seeing as the song seems to be about owning their sound and differentiating themselves from their peers and influences. That breakdown is just near perfect and that “I want the devil to fear you” line? Heat. The second single “No Good Can Come from This, But it Can’t Get Any Worse” (Gotta love these mid 2000s song titles.) Is more of a swancorish (I’m sorry, again) one but still reigns true to the EP’s mission statement. Finally the third… uh… single? It had a music video and it was close enough to release day alright? That one was “I Meant It” featuring Tyler Adlam. This thing hits every mark a post-hardcore ballad needs to in just 30 seconds with acoustic plucking, strings and beautiful lead vocals with chorusy back ups.

“We’re Gonna Play, Steve” invokes that same absence of live music that a lot of the main record did. It’s incredible how effective just a crowd clapping and cheering at the front of your song makes it feel so much like something that has to be experienced in person. The track itself really makes me ache for a sweaty rock club because that’s… basically what it sounds like. Breakdown here is so heavy it borders on deathcore as well.

“Meet Me in Temecula” opens with a scratchy riff and is fast and gut punching kind of like an old punk cut. The chanting with the in depth bassline is a nice touch as well and just when you think this track has become predictable it bait and switches you at the end which is a real nice spice.

Speaking of punk “If Life’s a Gift, I Hope You Kept the Receipt” is literally just double-time and fast riffs. Vocals manage to be soulful in this however and it’s even got that classic phone ringing intro.

We get a break from the pit on the next track, “Miss Me.” Has very nice plucked guitar work and nice eased vocals which summon an inner Kurt Travis. Alright bois. I’m sorry. I’ve done it three times now. Forgive me, I’m not trying to do this I promise.

“II.” is a sequel within a sequel. The first part is “Untitled.” found on the band’s first full length bouquet. The connection to these is very apparent listening to them back-to-back. On this one I’m gonna actually have you check them out yourself as there’s just so much reference in sound and lyrics between the two that I’d rather you just experience it.

“General Grievance” is just. Stupid. Heavy. It’s a true hardcore moment and the scaling riffs only add to the intensity. pulses. summoning their inner Every Time I Die on this one. There is a slow down that’s similar in concept to the track’s first verse toward the end, which we are guided into with an angelic note.

Finally at the end of our 36 (37 if you count “Untitled.”) journey we have “Evidence of Absence.” As the title sort of suggests this a redux of sorts of track one and similar in nature to “Graduation Day.” It is the only track on the EP to exceed two minutes yet it’s still true to both the record and the EP. The record in that it has another moving, open word intro. The EP in that it goes through many phases and by the last minute turns much heavier almost like its it’s own new song.

And that concludes our review of all three releases. SiiE as I said made it into my top list last year and I expect Speak Less to this year as well. I’m really excited for shows to return and I can see pulses. in a live setting, not just because the energy here seems perfect for that but overall it's evident in these songs that these are, at the end of the day, kids who love the scene as much as you or I and frankly that’s the kind of band I want to have a bigger reach. That’s why I took this on in the first place. Don’t just take my word for it though, these are just my observations of these releases. The band has a Tik Tok series where they go over the inspiration for all these songs which range from scene music and so much more and just go support this band in general, I’ll link where to find them below. Make sure to put a period.