Rob’s Album Of The Week: Slingshot Dakota’s Heavy Banding

While pop music can often be bland and formulaic, when a band or musician flips the script on the style it can be extraordinary. The inventiveness usually comes from a combination of lyrical depth and a clash of instrumentation. Slingshot Dakota from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania have been mastering this through various ebbs and flows since 2003. Their fifth album, Heavy Banding, that was released via both Community & Specialist Subject Records on May 24 is their latest representation. It has a distinct edge that’s consistent from the first note to the last beat.

Consisting of husband and wife Tom Patterson on drums and Carly Comando on the keys, this duo bring an amount of emphasis rarely seen from similar set ups. There’s a lot of feeling within the album, Comando sings her heart out and Patterson never fails when it comes to joining on harmonies. The dynamic between the both of them is incredible with a noise that ascends rather than distorts. Music like this is a breath of fresh air for anyone who is desensitized to what’s been coming out lately. It’s also a punch in a gut to the art form itself.

As this decade withers away with each passing day, how will the music from it be remembered? Will it be known as the beginning of the mainstream’s slow death? Or will it be the opposite? There are tons of questions to be answered…