I had no idea Askeleton mastermind Knol Tate was once a part of Kill Sadie and The Hidden Chord, both bands that occupy space in my music collection. Tate began Askeleton after the demise of those bands back in 2002. While there are certain small similarities to The Hidden Chord’s jumpy post-punk, there are certainly no hints at Kill Sadie’s experimental screamo. Instead, Askeleton’s The Personalization is timeless and refreshing in its simple attitude and approach. Tate, much akin to an artist like Ted Leo, has a keen sense of the subtle pop hook. So much so, that you might not even notice how infectious a melody is til hours later when you find yourself humming it. The Personalization is that kind of album though. It will sneak up on you when you least expect it. Tate has the Twin Cities running through his veins and he makes that apparent throughout the album. The free-flowing lyrics (Craig Finn/Lifter Puller/The Hold Steady), the bar rock looseness (The Replacements/The Hold Steady) and the melodic power pop nuggets (Bob Mould/Hüsker Dü/Sugar) all speak to Tate’s surroundings. There are some albums that I will continue to listen to cause I have a gut feeling they will eventually hit me. Askeleton’s The Personalization did just that and it was well worth the wait.
Genre: Indie/Pop/Rock
RIYL: The Hold Steady, The Rosebuds, Ted Leo
Label: Goodnight
Move To Switzerland
01%20Move%20To%20Switzerland.mp3
This Isn’t French
