Magnet Factory is short, sweet, and gets the job done... with that job being to create punchy, energetic songs reminiscent of the legendary Athens, GA band Pylon while showcasing Vanessa Briscoe Hay's powerful, timeless presence behind the mic. The record does indeed stay true to its title, where each song is gratifying and instant that they really reel you in immediately.
Back in Athens, GA during the 80's was a little band called Pylon. Though commercially little in scale and size, Pylon's critical and influential impact was anything but. They only released two studio records, Gyrate and Chomp along with standalone singles, but quality over quantity were indeed what these songs and what their short-lived career became as a band. They had a powerful force and a live presence unlike many bands at the time, including one of the best frontwomen of all time, being Vanessa Briscoe Hay. They were also one of the coolest bands out there and still today their music is still striking and revolutionary. But after the band's disbandment, Pylon remained a key factor in the Athens post punk and new wave scene, ultimately becoming many of your favorite bands' favorite band.
Over the past decade or so, Hay recruited some members of other local Athens bands (The Glands, Casper & The Cookies) and formed a new band called Pylon Reenactment Society. Judging by its title you can probably guess that the band did indeed feel like a reenactment but truly a sharp revival of sorts too. Their discography is very limited, only including a handful of singles and an EP, but within that small batch of music you can clearly tell that Hay hasn't missed a beat and the band itself sounds fresh (as fresh as a revival act can truly be). A large feat to recreate Pylon or to create an updated reformation of it, PRS does a solid job of just that. Now after many years of being a live band, they've finally released a debut studio album. Titled Magnet Factory, the record is short, sweet, and gets the job done... with that job being to create punchy, energetic songs reminiscent of Pylon while showcasing Hay's powerful, timeless presence behind the mic.
The record does stay true to its title, where each song is gratifying and instant that they really reel you in immediately. The flow is very solid and each track flows well towards the next. To be honest, the production, mixing, and performances are so good and true to Pylon's heyday that if I were told that Magnet Factory was just a collection of lost Pylon tracks with additional polish in the production, I probably would believe you. The sound is punchy where the guitars can be in the forefront of your headphones and Hay's excellent vocals and scowling are left with enough breathing room that it isn't too overbearing. I like how the album opens with a brooding short "Spiral" and how that flows into the sunny and sweet "Educate Me." "Flowers Everywhere" is a fantastic speedy classic that really shows off Hay's vocals while "Fix It" features the legendary Kate Pearson, another Athens based artist from a very little known band called The B-52's. The second half of "Fix It" has a spectacular key change that really comes out of nowhere. Other highlights include the glistening groovy "Boom Boom," which has some of the best guitar parts on the record, the short and sweet "3 X 3," and the slow burning closer "I'll Let You Know" that features some pretty harp plucking and bobbing electronics.
To be an act that is sort of a "reenactment" of sorts of a previous band, PRS honestly stay true to the Pylon formula but in a way that's refreshing, hard hitting, and most importantly, fun. So fun in fact that a lot of the things that may be negative about a group like this, such as lack of authenticity or originality just simply isn't true when it comes to Magnet Factory. Not only is this a fun record but it pays homage to Pylon in a really fun, celebratory, and respectable way while not taking away what made Pylon so great in the first place. There's enough for fans of the original Pylon to listen and enough newness and freshness for newcomers to give this a listen too. Hay still sounds incredible even at the eye popping age of sixty-eight. She really doesn't sound like sixty-eight rather she still sounds like her twenty-something-year-old old self when she originally broke out onto the scene. PRS doesn't sound out of step in any way, shape or form and Magnet Factory proves this to a tee.
My Rating: 7 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Fix It," "Flowers Everywhere," "3 X 3," "Boom Boom," "I'll Let You Know"
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