Few CDs encourage me to give a glowing review after the first listen. Wait, never mind, few CDs encourage me to give a glowing review halfway through the first listen. Partly Cloudy's 5-song EP Arm Your Weapons is such a CD. Basically, Partly Cloudy offers a somewhat more creative take on pop punk, creating an infectious sound while getting away from the sound every other pop punk band uses in what is, to be fair, a very crowded field right now. Dave Harms's vocals are a little raw, conveying more dynamics and emotion than the whiny nasal style we're all used to. Most of the vocals are actually sung, although there are places such as the second verse of "But To Me It's Everything" where they drift more into a spoken whisper. There are occasional screams (choruses of "But To Me It's Everything") and gang shouts ("To The Gods" and "Arm Your Weapons"), and again, they feel more organic and like they're there for a reason and less formulaic.
The musicians here also shine, particularly in Kyle Keith's guitar playing. Sure, there are plenty of power chords, and "anybody can play power chords," but even the power chord-driven riffs tend to morph over the course of the songs. Beyond that, there's a great echo-drenched single-note riff that drives "But To Me It's Everything" (yes, I rather enjoyed that song, if you can't tell) and a unusually tasteful solo in a clean tone on the opening track "Helpless." The title track starts off with a riff and guitar tone that wouldn't be out of place on a Queens of the Stone Age album.
In short, we need more bands willing to add their own flavor to sounds, and we need record labels to encourage diversity instead of just signing a dozen bands that sound the same (I'm looking at you, Victory). At least there are some bands advancing the genre, and Partly Cloudy is one of them. Go check it out.
