King Falcon’s self-titled debut announces the New York City power trio’s prowess to a waiting world. The three-piece of vocalist/guitarist Michael Rubin, bassist James Terranova, and drummer Tom Diognardi concoct eleven compelling songs for their maiden collection free from prefabrication, pandering, or self-indulgence. They’ve enlisted heavyweight sound merchants to help realize their musical vision as well. Producer Marshall Altman is a respected name with credits ranging from Marc Broussard to Frankie Ballard while a dozen Grammy nominations attest to Mark Needham’s unquestionable skills as a mixer. Their contributions help frame King Falcon’s songs in the best possible light.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kingfalconband/
The hard-hitting “Everybody’s Down” kicks off the album in thundering fashion. Rubin’s tightly wound clipped post-punk guitar riffing gains added percussive snap from Diognardi’s drums. Altman gives Diognardi’s drum sound a dry snap. Terranova’s bass line is a definite presence in the arrangement as well; it bodes well for the remaining ten tracks that Falcon comes off as so tight and utterly together from the outset.
“Ready Set Go” exudes full-throttle swagger. It charges ahead with a much more menacing head of steam than the opener, the riffing isn’t quite as jagged yet brittle, and the cut’s exultant thrust gives listeners no quarter. “Cadillac” stretches the band’s compositional canvas further out than before while steering the album’s sound toward decidedly poppier terrain. It still features Rubin’s guitar leading the way, with Terranova and Diognardi in close consort, but King Falcon noticeably lightens their touch.
King Falcon employs assorted post-production vocal effects that heighten the theatrical qualities of “Rabbit Gets the Gun”. They surprise us, however, pairing such touches with sizable forays into near-hard rock guitar and Rubin’s elasticity as a player serves King Falcon well. This track is one of the album’s highlights. “Ride” does just that as it blasts by listeners in a little more than three minutes. Diognardi pounds out almost tribal rhythms accompanying one of Rubin’s most ferocious and energetic guitar riffs. The stripped-down muscularity of the six-string knocks you back in your seat.
They summon their hard rock inclinations into form once again with “My Name Is”. Falcon slows the tempo as well and the band achieves an insistent churn with the song’s arrangement that shifts the track listing’s gears in an interesting way. Many listeners will peg this as one of the album’s late highlights. Nuanced in places, boisterous in others, King Falcon closes their self-titled debut with “Go On”, a deceptively simple finale. It clocks in just under three minutes. Despite that seemingly abbreviated running time, “Go On” has a widescreen approach that makes great use of dynamics. It closes the collection on a memorable note.
King Falcon conclusively establishes itself with this first release. They aren’t writing, recording, and performing disposable rock by numbers, however, and embrace fundamentals with the idea of bringing them back to life for modern audiences. The album’s eleven songs succeed, by any measure, and highlight the New York City trio’s boundless promise. There’s every indication, as well, that they’ll deliver on that potential.
Garth Thomas