Ask anyone – most musicians and bands in any genre of music take more than one album to find what’s known as their “true sound”. Musicians evolve in unending and interesting ways, and while they’re not always received well, staying stagnant is also the key to irrelevance. New Jersey-based Palisades, who released their 3rd self-titled full-length earlier this year, are finally on the path to success that they’ve been working towards for a while.
Palisades knows a thing or two about musical evolution. Over the span of just 5 years, it’s been rather impressive to see how they’ve changed – but for the better.
Case in point, their debut EP I’m Not Dying Today, a deceptively catchy slice of fairly standard synthy post-hardcore that put Palisades on the map. Granted, it’s not anything groundbreaking, but the EP established the band’s ability to create real, tangible hooks in a genre that often forgets how to write them. Lou Miceli’s vocals continue to lead the way.
Their debut full-length, Outcasts, doubled down on the electronic-based style of post-hardcore they were going for. It’s not a bad album, in fact it got the band on some pretty prominent tours. Lou Miceli’s vocal hooks are still there, and this is a pretty decent performance by a band playing a genre of music that’s known for some serious mediocrity. “A Disasterpiece” is a really catchy track from the album, as it really showcases what Palisades are good at.
I was pretty disappointed in Mind Games. It’s not an abysmal effort, certainly, and the track “Player Hater’s Ball” (which features blackbear – good call!) is a solid slice of EDM-influenced post-hardcore. Still, the EDM influences seemed tacked on at the time, and they still do. That being said…
When Palisades released (at the time) a stand-alone single in “Fall”, I knew what the band was going for – a fully realized R&B-influenced post-hardcore sound. No more did the band’s electronic side seem tacked on or underdeveloped – with the release of their self-titled album, it’s clear Palisades knows exactly what they want to play now. Lead single and album opener “Aggression” is jam packed full of pop hooks, but at the same time it’s not like the band has forgotten the post-hardcore framework they started in. There’s even some aggressive (hah!) tracks like “Through Hell”, which isn’t necessarily an exceptional song, but Palisades is pretty adept at heavier tracks as a whole.
Seriously, listen to Palisades, and you’ll realize their songwriting is better and more natural than ever. This is the sound of a band that’s bound for crossover success. In fact, the track “Let Down” (which features an insanely catchy synth-section during the chorus) is gaining some serious success at XM’s Octane station, and Palisades is even playing some big festivals very soon.
“Success” is different for everyone. For some, it might mean going on a few tours and putting out an album or two. For others, it might mean a decade-long run changing the very fabric of the genre they play in and headlining massive festivals. But what does it mean for Palisades? Only the band truly knows, but perhaps what they’re trying to attain is happening right now as we speak.
