RECTANGLES

The RECTANGLES are Portland, Oregon's first and ONLY synth-punk band.



Portland's Rectangles cite The Screamers, Tubeway Army, Black Flag, and "compilations like Killed by Death and Bloodstains" as major influences. I must say that their music sounds exactly like you'd expect it to sound - given those specific inspirations. And that's good! When not done well, the synth-punk style can sound tediously robotic, affectedly quirky, or preposterously retro. The Rectangles, thank God, are none of the above. Their sound is just as much "punk" as it is "synth" - and their use of keyboards to create a bleak, creepy atmosphere definitely lays bare their Gary Numan/Tubeway Army influence. Combined with a hard-hitting, straight-forward punk approach, The Rectangles' ominous future-rock vibe benefits from the sense that it's driven by raw, human aggression. "Suspended Animation", the A-side of the band's debut single, is the song that's got me expecting great things from The Rectangles. Vocally and musically, it paints a grim, anxiety-strewn terrain - echoing the slow-burning paranoia of the darkest late '70s new wave yet not sounding dated or derivative. Here, the band's own description of its music ("Our world is what we see, squirming sacks of flesh tearing thru the universe on a boulder at 16,000 miles an hour") is proven accurate.



On the B-side are a pair of more traditionally "punk" tunes, replete with snotty vocals and blasting guitars. Here I'm reminded a lot of The Minds - except the keyboards darken the picture rather than brightening it. Both songs are pretty alright, but I'm more compelled by what's happening on the A-side.



I'm hearing talk that The Rectangles' best work is still to come, and I can only hope that "Suspended Animation" is just a hint of what lies ahead for this band. I'm excited by the group's potential. Here, my friends, is a band that could really make synth-punk interesting again!



---Lord Rutledge

June 28, 2006