Death to Traitors
Paw is one American guitar band smart enough to realize how many predecessors it can steal from. The Kansas trio isn't ashamed to borrow from Nirvana grunge, Van Halen crunch, Soul Asylum hooks, R.E.M. jangle, or Springsteen frat-rock--often in the same song. "I Hope To Die Tonight" opens with a shimmering wave of guitar distortion, but that soon recedes to reveal a first verse boasting an understated, arpeggiated melody and a romantic plea: "When I squeeze too hard, would you stop and tell me so--I never seem to know." That gives way, in turn, to a hard-rock chorus featuring hammering drums, blasting guitar chords, and a screaming vocal: "I hope I die tonight; everything's too perfect now!" This constant shifting of gears only works because every rhythm riff and single-note phrase that guitarist Grant Fitch comes up with is catchy and power driven. And Mark Hennessy is one of those rare singers who can scream and roar with perfect pitch and crisp articulation. Fitch's kid brother Peter is the drummer, and the band has gone through a series of bassists. Together they have loaded upDeath to Traitorswith 14 consistently impressive songs, including two low-key acoustic-guitar numbers sung by Grant Fitch and several loud, jagged rants, including the title cut, which sound uncannily like Pearl Jam.--Geoffrey Himes