Skull Tape just released their first album, The Invisible Hand and the Descent of Man, earlier this January. Though they are a new band with relatively little buzz surrounding them, even if you haven’t heard of them, you’ve heard their puppet master, Brad Breeck and you probably didn’t know it.
You’ve heard Breeck’s commercial music (that actually doesn’t suck), production and composition work for years now. He worked with Beck on Guero and even helped compose some of Tenacious D’s Pick of Destiny. You might not hear it right away, but Breeck has a style all his own that is instantly recognizable, boiling with manic energy, yet always beautifully and masterfully composed.
The Invisible Hand and the Descent of Man is a fun, accessible pop-punk record that pushes the genre forward. Instead of singing about high school crushes or their late-in-life stripper equivalents, Breeck has taken on complex subjects in the lyrics and set a new standard for pop-punk in general. The invisible hand is a term used in economic theory that is used to explain how supply and demand works.
Armed with just a guitar, a Korg, and a drum set, Breeck has made songs that, although they remain true to their poppy nature and aren’t as aggressive or earsplitting as his previous work with the Mae Shi, will please fans who have been waiting to hear something new.
Mae Shi was an exquisite blend between the hardcore and pop-punk sounds that went beyond the typical verse-chorus-verse song structure. Their albums were epic and had songs clocking up to seven minutes. They experimented with many instruments and sound effects. The most prominent being the Omnichord, (which may be the most hipster instrument of all time) a Japanese keyboard with preset chords and beats, which is like an expanded and interactive version of the demo button you’d find on your average Walmart electronic piano.
If you’ve ever seen this commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8tWLEsLpxs
You are automatically familiar with the Mae Shi’s first song on their last album “Lamb & the Lion.” That commercial is a bit old, but these two are fresh off the press in 2011 and also feature Brad Breeck’s music.
This one for Titleist:
And this one for Apple:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6oGhLvLfgs&feature=player_embedded
The Invisible Hand and the Descent of Man strays far from the Mae Shi’s magnum-opus HLLLYH, which was considered “the answer” for many hardcore and pop-punk enthusiasts who knew the Mae Shi, and is more akin to Mae Shi’s commercial appeal, with less instrumentally driven songs like HLLLYH’s “Kingdom Come.” However, there are some quality songs that stand out above the rest, like the first track, “Crop Circles,” and the highly danceable “Max Boot.” But the album as a whole is entirely positive and uplifting.
While songs like “Drowning in Blood” might have what appears to be a morbid chorus line, you’ll be singing along like you were singing “Happy Birthday” to your kindergarten class.
The Invisible Hand and the Descent of Man is not something to mess with. The album has more energy than anything else out right now. It will make you dance, sing and put you in a good mood for summer. Teenagers will blast this as they cruise around bored and broke college kids will play this album on repeat because it has days worth of replay value. Even though the songs are simple, they’ll grow on you and you’ll listen to this album for months.
This album is also a chance for those who were unaware of Breeck’s enormous influence and presence in today’s musical culture, which up until now, was unaware of his name, but heard his songs on a daily basis.
