Late Cambrian Vs. Weezer

posted in: Features • Rock

In our latest edition of Vs., we’re putting the spotlight on our recent “Kickoff to KahBang” winners Late Cambrian and nerd rockers Weezer. Late Cambrian hails from Brooklyn, New York, and like Weezer, have a distinctive power pop sound, featuring crunchy, distorted guitars and upbeat tempos. It doesn’t hurt that their lead singer’s voice sounds a lot like that of Weezer vocalist Rivers Cuomo. Late Cambrian’s songs feature big, melodic guitar solos that make listeners want to play air guitar. Just like Weezer’s first album in the early ’90s, Late Cambrian’s debut The Last Concert is the kind of album that makes 13-year-olds want to grab their dad’s old, dusty guitar out of the attic and start strumming along.

While Weezer’s music seems to get simpler both musically and lyrically on later albums, the same cannot be said for Late Cambrian. Recent Weezer singles seem to deal with their insistance on being independent and not fitting in with the crowd (despite the fact that the members of the band are now in their 40s and don’t have to prove to anyone that they’re “different”), Late Cambrian sings about a broader range of themes.

According to the band itself, its lyrics “broach existential dread, relationship truths and the cult of celebrity, all topics met with optimism in the face of nihilism.” Their track “Those Middle Years” deals with the struggles of adjusting to the real world. “Shut In/Trilobytes” on the other hand, is a song that addresses a hypothetical end of the world. The song preaches that we should not focus on the minute details of everyday life, but make the most of our time on earth because we never know when the world could end.

“Shut In/Trilobytes” also illustrates Late Cambrian’s ability to break free of the conventions of power pop. While the song begins as an upbeat, pop punk affair, it soon transforms into something completely different. Toward the end, a tom-tom drum pattern kicks in that sounds like a tribal drum beat. Over this, you can hear heavily distorted electric guitar feedback with phasing and delay effects. How many other bands do you know that can switch from power pop to psychedelic rock in a matter of minutes? Probably not many.

Late Cambrian’s debut album, The Last Concert, is available now on iTunes. And don’t forget to catch them tonight at 8:00 at the Kickoff to KahBang concert in Bangor, Maine!