Pulley

Pulley play mall punk, but the one called to mind by the songs on Matters is like no mall known to man. Songs like "A Bad Reputation” and "Poltergeist” would barely fit in the West Edmonton Mall, and with a grand total of 12 tracks, any hope of containment is lost. While Pulley do write simple pop punks songs, they infuse them with such depth of emotion that it’s impossible not to be drawn in. With thick production courtesy of Matt Hyde (Slayer, Fu Manchu), the overall sound of this record helps it escape the pitfalls of occasionally unimaginative songwriting. Even on the slightly weaker tracks, however, the band layer on the harmonies and beef up the guitars, creating an engaging soundscape out of what could have just as easily become throw-away filler. This certainly isn’t true of most of the album, however, and it is on tracks like "Stomach Aches” that the band really shines, combining their songwriting talent and their big sound. Still more consistent than any of their work in the past, Matters stands as an example of the potential that lies in even that most poppy of pop-punk of subgenres.