Curtain by 3-piece psychedelic rockers Retrognome is unlike anything else you’ll hear in the crowded rock and roll landscape of the modern day. Full of tempo and style changes, wild guitar solos, and tonal experimentation, the song is unabashedly its own style – one that you really can’t place as definitively inspired by one or the other musical influence.
Here, as with many of their previous jams, Retrognome manage to tie together both fierce and liberated instrumentation with a strong refrain and rhythmic precision. The band, despite their inclination toward improvisation and dramatic shifts of pace, have a cohesive sound that is definitively both retro and rhythmic – just as the band name would suggest.
Starting off with a fast-moving dirty garage guitar and bass attack, the band engulf us in their world of sound from the first notes. In the opening section, singer Tom Mahar’s impassioned vocal tone reminds us a little bit of Andrew Savage of Parquet Courts and Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers, but by the second half of the song, Mahar displays his vocal flexibility by switching to a softer, sweeter register. Throughout the song, bassist Cayla Dean’s walking bass lines provide a quirky, whimsical foundation for Mahar’s vocals and also serve to tie the various sonic threads together.
If there is one thing to expect from Retrognome, it’s the unexpected. They are definitely a band pioneering their own path, pulling various threads from familiar influences but tying them together in an entirely new pattern. Each song has its own colorful tapestry of riffs, rhythmic complexities, and rapidly shifting emotions that you really can’t predict. If you’re up for this kind of music – the kind that keeps you on your toes with interesting twists and turns – blended with a healthy dose of rock and roll and strong melodies, Retrognome is a good band to stay close to.
The Music and Planet Project 
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