Singer-songwriter Ryan Sutherland has shown flashes of so-called “garage-prog” before, namely on his 2022 album “Sutherland II.” But with his new crew, The Electric Spiders, he goes all in, fusing basement vigor with winding song structures.
The group’s first EP, “Ricochet,” is pure Rochester: recorded and mixed at Ben Baker’s Canadaway Records studio in the 19th Ward and boasting a song called “Red Hot with Relish.” Baker, like Sutherland, plays guitar. But the compositions don’t revel in shred.
Instead, the multiple shifts of “Silhouette” provide a template: high-energy garage rock punctuated by Scott Wright’s space-age keyboards and bossa nova percussion from Colin D’Annunzio.
For better or worse, the six-track EP has the raw feel of a live set. In the minus column, bassist Sean Wilson-Leslie is largely drowned out in the mix. When lead guitar lines arrive, the lack of studio sheen can blunt their impact at what’s supposed to be triumphant moments.
But optimistically, the minimal polish reveals both the raw power Sutherland wrings out of his mates and the first-idea, best-idea excitement typical of any new creative voyage.
Indeed, “Raw Power” may have been an inspiration (even indirectly, all garage rock is at least partly descended from The Stooges). But imagine Iggy Pop favoring psychedelic frontiers instead of groove. Sutherland commands with his deep baritone, sounding descended from Jim Morrison when he asks, Did you see that scarecrow dance?’
“Rise High,” the most outwardly prog offering, also has the steadiest rhythmic framework and a chance for Wright to absolutely freak it on the keys. This is where “Ricochet” soars.
The title track, too, spits molten fire and sends a warning signal to those who might not have brought earplugs to the gig. Listeners who welcome the noise just might’ve found a new local live favorite.
Patrick Hosken is CITY’s arts reporter. He can be reached at patrick@rochester-citynews.com.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
