The Extensions – ‘High Charisma’ [Album Review]

Take a little dollop of Dire Straits, a pinch of Elvis Costello, and add a squirt of The B-52’s. Toss it all in a blender, hit frappe, and wait sixty seconds. The end result is The Extensions, the New Jersey-based indie-rock outfit that recently dropped their album, High Charisma.

Made up of Brian Erickson (vocals, guitar), Lisa LoVell (keys, vocals), Becca Cristino (guitar, vocals), Will Blakey (bass), and Pete Stern (drums), The Extensions began as a side project for everyone in the band. After four years and two lineup changes, The Extensions has become more than just an average band.

Talking about the songs on the album, Erickson says, “A lot of my writing is about the relationships we make and the contradictions behind them. We make and sever them; we appreciate them and take them for granted. Not just romance, but everything. This album adds the wrinkles of age, desire, and self-awareness.”

Of the ten tracks on High Charisma, entry points include “With a K,” a funk-laced tune fused with tangs of bounce, reminiscent of The B-52’s, only a bit more subdued. Highlighted by Blakey’s popping bassline and velvety-smooth vocals, the song simmers with energy.

A personal favourite because of its edgy, platinum guitars and funky rhythm, “Charm Offensive” merges harmonic shifts dripping with urgent seductive tangs into a tasty, pressing tune.

The first four tracks on High Charisma reflect sonic similarity, as if written at almost the same time, or at least while enveloped in an equivalent mood. With “Isn’t It a Party,” the mood changes. Switching to undulating surfaces and bluesy flavours topped by a lush, dreamy female voice. The outro reveals layers of prickly guitars, giving the tune a cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof feel, followed by coming to a drifting conclusion.

The Extensions, photo courtesy of The Extensions

Hints of surf-rock run through “Casual Day,” whereas “Scene Famous” projects dark, sleazy coloration, producing an ominous sensation. Another favourite, and perhaps the best track on the album, “Seeing Ghosts,” features a delicious polymetric rhythm, with the bass acting as a counterpoint to Stern’s oblique percussion.

Underscored by the luscious propulsive sense called swing, with High Charisma, The Extensions offer an album full of delectable groove.

High Charisma Track Listing:

1. With a K
2. Charm Offensive
3. Follow You, Unfollow Me
4. Big Tree
5. Isn’t It a Party
6. Casual Day
7. Scene Famous
8. My Turn
9. Seeing Ghosts
10. Typical Amerikan

Run Time: 38:32
Release Date: June 9, 2023
Record Label: Mint 400 Records