Photo of Palomino Blond by Dennis Ho
Pop-punk and shoegaze may seem like strange bedfellows, but on their latest single “Left,” Miami’s Palomino Blond have found the heretofore undiscovered sweet spot between these two disparate subgenres.
The song, the second single released from the band’s upcoming sophomore LP You Can Feel it Too (out October 4th on Kanine Records), is what Palomino Blond’s singer/guitarist Carli Acosta refers to as the album’s “standout punk-pop banger.” The song follows “Understand,” the album’s first single, an example of the perfect deployment of tension and release, the guitar and bass dropping into the background behind Acosta’s anxious vocals while Emma Arevalo’s drums still crack with taut, thunderous energy, an energy level that continues to build until it erupts into the song’s fuzz-drenched chorus.
But by contrast, “Left” starts at a roar and never really lets up. First come Arevalo’s drums—a few thuds to the kick drum followed by a rapid fire burst of snare, a nice little intro riff Arevalo came up with in the studio that Acosta says “injected a lot of life into the recording,” and it’s hard to disagree. Then come the guitars (courtesy of Acosta and fellow guitarist Peter Allen), thick with shoegaze-y distortion but played at a quick pop-punk clip. As Acosta’s vocals come in, so does a soaring lead guitar part that dances around Acosta’s voice as if the guitar is harmonizing with the song’s narrator, or duetting with them.
Or, perhaps more accurately given the song’s themes, it’s arguing with them? “The lyrics definitely have a lot to do with love and human connection, in all its errors and fuck ups and forgiveness despite it all,” Acosta explains “’Left’ was a song I wrote sitting on the floor of my room, word-vomiting over a couple of riffs. To me, it reflects how back-and-forth you can be with someone, even when you both know it’s no good for either of you. It conveys betrayal and forgiveness, and kind of ping-pongs between different perspectives. It kind of sounds like two speakers if you read through the lyrics.” The song achieves full liftoff when that lead guitar figure takes over for a quick but stellar solo. “The vibe was very inspired by Dinosaur Jr.,” Acosta states. J. Mascis would be proud.
The Arts STL is proud to present the debut of “Left,” which you can stream below:
Palomino Blond formed in December 2017 when Acosta was in college for a music business degree. “We played a ton of local shows, almost never saying no to an offer anywhere in the state for the first two years,” Acosta recalls. “We played warehouses, clubs, houses, backyards, colleges, bars, pretty much wherever you could set up a PA.” In those early days, Acosta continues, “The vision was to make music that fuses heavy/soft, evil/pretty, punk/pop. We all came from different backgrounds—hardcore, indie rock, experimental, pop—and we tried to fuse all of that into the sound. There was also an aspect of inspiration from Slowdive, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, and other shoegaze bands,” an inspiration that still comes through in the Palomino Blond sound of today.
That said, that original incarnation of the band did not include Arevalo and Allen, though, as Acosta points out, the connections among the trio were already present. “Emma is my cousin and we were in our first band together, and Peter used to come see the band when we had other members. Peter and I started talking at a show one time, at this legendary Miami venue called Churchill’s and that’s how our friendship was born. He really put me on to good tone and gear, and used to do sound for us at all our shows.” As other members of the band slowly left for other careers and other states, the new Acosta-Arevalo-Allen lineup solidified in March 2020, just in time for the world to stop. But the new trio forged ahead, “holing up” at Acosta’s house “during peak lockdown times, writing, and recording everything. That is kind of the ethos, just constant collaboration and connection through our friendship.”
The resulting LP, ontheinside, was released in 2021 by Limited Fanfare, and features production, engineering, and mixing from Jonathan Nuñez (former bassist and guitarist for Torche). The shoegaze influence rings through on some songs but a ‘90s alt/grunge sound pervades through most of the record. Throughout, the drums are powerful and intense, the guitars are buzzing, and Acosta’s vocals float through it all with just the right amount of echo.
You Can Feel It Too promises to continue on that trend, though with a wider sonic palette, incorporating Florida-centric sounds like Miami bass and electronic music as well. Where does “Left” fit into the overall LP? “We needed a fast one,” says Acosta. “I remember sending the first demo take on WhatsApp and my bandmates being stoked about it. We always send each other ideas on the fly in our group chat and it’s sick when your phone starts buzzing a few minutes after hitting send and everyone in the chat digs the idea.”
Palomino Blond are a band heavily influenced by the various shades of ‘90s alternative rock, but not beholden to them, resulting in a sound that triggers a hint of nostalgia to Gen X/elder Millennial ears while also conjuring something that’s still of the moment, that speaks to now. What is it about the ‘90s sonic aesthetic that speaks to the band? “A lot of ‘90s bands weren’t about being cool, or fashion trends, or anything but the music,” explains Acosta, “and that approach prioritizes the music over everything, which I think appeals to a lot of musicians and listeners. They just coincidentally were super fucking cool (and pioneered a lot of aesthetics that stuck around). Plus, it helps that the music is great. And,” Acosta concludes, “it’s fun to stomp on a fuzz pedal.” | Jason Green
Palomino Blond’s You Can Feel It Too is out October 4. Stay up-to-date on the band’s latest at their Bandcamp page.
