Tall Teenagers Debut Album reviewed by Vanyaland
Album Premiere: Tall Teenagers rise above the mundane on provocative guitar-rock debut
By possessing a sound that’s reminiscent of Nick Cave’s gothic tones, old school electric surf rock, and the post-punk charisma of The Raveonettes, Tall Teenagers have gained a local buzz in a relatively short time. The act consists of a couple Providence music scene vets, featuring former Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons members Damian Puerini and Shaun Chevalier on lead guitar and drums, respectively. The lineup rounds out with Puerini’s wife, Shannon, on bass, and Chelsea Paulhus on rhythm guitar. There’s a uniquely haunting aesthetic to the band’s style that sends chills up the spine. Get down with the darkness as Tall Teenagers premiere their self-titled debut album on Vanyaland today.
Believe it or not, Tall Teenagers originally started out as an innocent music project between Puerini and Paulhus that was eventually deemed to be a tad provocative.
“Chelsea and I wanted to write children’s songs to make money and then we realized our songs were really inappropriate — true story,” says Damian Puerini.
With dark lyrics accompanying each track, it’s fairly certain that Tall Teenagers’ music wouldn’t go well with the child demographic. It might scare them a bit and leave parents a tad confused. That’s a good thing though, let the kids stay home while the adults dive into an interesting take on rock and roll.
The surfy twang that starts off “Feel Us Out” sets the mood for the song, the chorus is where the energy comes through and invades the listener’s inhibitions. On “Anniversary”, Chevalier’s drumming is evidently present as the reinforcing base of the track with Puerini and Paulhus’ guitars serving as the source of invigoration. “I Get Awake” is an absolute ripper, an unapologetic punk structure anchors this electrifying track to exude a dancing feeling. Paulhus’ backing vocals on the song gives it an eerie inflection as well.
Tall Teenagers will be celebrating the release of their self-titled debut at the Columbus Theatre Saturday night (April 16) with alt-rock art enthusiasts Pixels and rabble rousing rock and rollers Smith & Weeden. Do the ears a favor and pick up a copy of the album at the show but for a taste of what to expect stream the album via the band’s Soundcloud below: