WHAT ABOUT: BRILLIANT COLORS

WHAT ABOUT: BRILLIANT COLORS

On all-girl Bay Area trio BRILLIANT COLORS’ debut LP Introducing, singer/guitarist Jess Scott evokes an aesthetic that falls somewhere between the spunky DIY gnarl of riot grrl or The Flying Nun (Records) days and the write-in-my-diary-about-you twee of say, Shop Assistants (or if you’re feeling contemporary) her Slumberland labelmate-buzzers The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- especially on standouts “Absolutely Anything” and “Short Sleeves At Night.”

Introducing is everything it needs to be: nostalgic, taut, celebratory, grungy, blaring and even pensive at points. With each song change, my ears wait for the tape-deck pop and fizzle of a recording from yesteryear. Sure, the songs tumble together like a laundry-machine of distortion complete with bouncy, female yelping and muddy, learn-to-play-guitar surf riffs, but after the ten-track LP closes out with the near-ballady “Should I Tell You,” amidst the swirl haze of guitar (coming from Michelle Hill, a touring member of The Slits (!)) and cymbals, Scott asks “should I tell you what you already know?” The answer is sure, Scott, tell us whatever you’d like. No matter what you say though, the one thing we know is that this form of endearing, homemade music has no real reason to do anything but continue. Let’s hope that introducing yourself isn’t just the only thing we get from you Brilliant Colors this year.

Download "Absolutely Anything" (mp3)

I had the chance to see Brilliant Colors play with (equally as great) bands Best Coast, Dunes and Animal Style at Synchronicity Space in Los Angeles last week (see photo below).

--Post by Matt Draper