Once you take the time to soak in the awesome album cover, you might realize that you will have to take the record out and listen to it. You think that there is no way the music on Constant Lovers’ Experience Feelings could live up to the cover. But, when you finally throw the record on your turntable, you’ll realize that the music lives up to the promise.

This is some great noisy, loud, and quirky rock. There are touches of post-hardcore and the rougher side of indie rock in here, along with some nice repetitive Kraut-rock rhythms courtesy of drummer (and Seattle renaissance man) Ben Verellen and guitarist/percussionist Eric Fisher. It’s also shot through with a sense of playful weirdness, that seems to be very common in the Pacific Northwest.

The people who made this have some strange but well-developed senses of humor. There is a little mirth to the music, but it’s not an ironic joke — it’s just they don’t like to play it completely straight, even when they are riffing. This just seems like a regional quirk, and instead of getting in the way, it gives the music a certain charm.

“You Look Smashing” features stop-start rhythms, lurking, fat bass lines, and a simple yet effective feedback-laden solo at its finish. “Hey Bo Diddley” has a danceable beat, that gives way to some manic thrashing about and big hard rock riff. “14 Missed Calls” is sludgy and brisk, sprinkling more feedback detours and chiming guitars into the mix. “Cry Me A River” starts out with some caveman bashing before settling into groovy Kraut-rock inspired beats that layers some heavy guitar on top of the drums and bass.

So, if you like your loud rock coming straight from left-field, you will find much to like on this album. Not only does the band beat the sophomore slump with this, they have created another great slice of quirky rock that is likely to raise their profile and also makes for another solid release from one of the burgeoning labels in the Pacific Northwest. 

(Good To Die Records, PO Box 70251, Seattle, WA 98127)