Raised On Candy – ‘Raised On Candy’ [Album Review]

East Coast-based alternative rock trio Raised On Candy releases their self-titled debut album, recorded and engineered by the legendary Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago.

The band features Joe Penna (vocals, guitar), Scotty Imp (drums, percussion), and Kevin Harris (bass, vocals), blending indie rock, post-punk, and shoegaze into a unique sound with introspective lyrics, exploring leitmotifs of love and loss with visceral authenticity.

Of the dozen tracks on Raised On Candy, highlights include “Nishuane Park,” which opens on intensely colored guitars that flow into a grinding shoegaze melody topped by potent, melodic vocal harmonies.

“Lonely Bill” opens on delicate, jangly guitars and then takes on heavy textures of shoegaze as falsetto vocals imbue the lyrics with evocative tones. The country-flavored intro to “Midnight Creeper” rolls into thick, dark guitars and then subsides to soft, flickering melodicism. For some reason, this track summons up memories of Thin Lizzy.

The grungy feel of “Like A Bird,” vaguely reminiscent of Nirvana, ebbs and rises on low-slung surfaces, at once gentle and drenched in tenderness. A personal favorite because of its contagious intro, “Maxing The Clink” shifts to raw, growling guitar textures, giving off portentous tangs.

“The Ponderosa” exudes the stripped-down, stroking feel of punk along with falsetto vocals that alter to vehement scowling timbres. Meanwhile, “Soft Metal” oozes with shadowy, sleazy tones, like a primordial, feral creature slinking through the night.

Raised On Candy, photo by Isla Chadwick

“Whisper Me Your Wish” ties the album off with slow, jangly-colored guitars riding a sleepy, dripping rhythm, followed by taking on dense guitars pushed along by a wonderfully weighty and fat bassline and loose, crunching drums.

Indeed, careful listening to all the songs on Raised On Candy bare the substance of Harris’ expressive and finessed bass, making him one of the extant elite bassists in music.

Underlined by excellent songwriting, including surprising melodic alterations, Raised On Candy’s debut album is impressive.

Raised On Candy Track Listing:

1. Nishuane Park
2. Lonely Bill
3. Midnight Creeper
4. Rococo
5. Like a Bird
6. Maxing the Clink
7. Reunion
8. The Ponderosa
9. Big Game Hunter
10. Soft Metal
11. Ora
12. Whisper Me Your Wish

Run Time: 34:09
Release Date: November 22, 2024
Record Label: Shoegum Records