Backwoods Payback - Future Slum
Backwoods Payback is a trio of musicians from West Chester, Pennsylvania that has been dishing out some angst-filled but equally melodic and relevant tunes since 2003, having released about ten albums/EPs so far. This is a band that, like many in the heavy underground, is a proverbial square peg in a round hole, difficult to wedge into any one particular category (which is how we like it around here). That being said, Backwoods Payback, in my humble opinion, is one for the alternative kids out there; be ye bitter, introspective, or just ready to rock out, this is the album for you. The elements of grunge, stoner, alternative rock, and metal fused with a healthy amount of rage and willingness to "talk about it" with brutal honesty is every millennial's dream come true. Hell, it's what we need.
Future Slum
Here, I'm going to focus primarily on Future Slum, Backwood's Payback's 2018 album. This was the first album I heard from the band and the one that immediately had me hooked, psyching me up but hitting me squarely in the feels at the same time.
Backwoods Payback achieves this effect in part by combining some incredibly smooth vocals and vocal harmonies with some punk rock shouts and heavy metal screaming. The fusing of all of these styles can probably best be heard on the song Lines, on which the vocals go from buttery and crooning to shrieking, all within the same line (no pun intended). In fact, the suddenness with which these change-ups occur is probably the coolest part; they're jarring in the best way. I can't help but think about how life itself works this way; you're cruising along when something bad happens seemingly out of nowhere, hitting you like a ton of bricks. That being said, this method of vocal delivery only adds to the relatability of Backwoods Payback's music.
The punk rock influence can be heard on the songs Pirate Smile, with its politically charged lyrics and vocal harmonies that smack a bit of Bad Religion, and on Generals, which is about as alternative metal/punk as you can get with its primarily shouted thought-provoking lyrics. The percussive repetition of "Don't become what you hate!" brings it all home.
In stark contrast, there are several songs on Future Slum that are incredibly...dreamy. By that, I certainly don't mean dreamy in the vein of shoegaze, but a dark, pensive, melancholy, hypnotic feel with slowed-down pace. These are the songs on the album that tend to have the most grunge influence, but also contain the vocal harmonies that really stand out. In the song Whatever, bassist Jessica Barker's anguished cries of "Am I still breathing?" add so much depth and emotion. On the song It Ain't Right, guitarist/lead vocalist Mike Cummings' voice takes an almost bored-sounding approach on the first half of the song, leading up to powerful, emotive, soaring vocals and screams near the end. My favorite song from the album, Big Enough, arguably best utilizes this depressed and dazed-sounding building that leads to a cathartic release. Listen to it, you'll see what I mean. Beautiful stuff.
Finally, there are some very noticeable elements of stoner/doom on Future Slum. The song Alone in particular is primarily composed of a bare bones heavy stoner/doom riff and vocals only; no bass, no drums, although those make appearances periodically throughout the song, adding to the crescendo both musically and emotionally at its powerful ending. In fact, I'd say Alone has a bit more emphasis on the "doom" part of stoner/doom, and is the one song on the album that best highlights the band's doom metal influences. Lucky, the final song on Future Slum, is a straight up stoner/desert rock jam to my ears with some damn good psychological insight in the lyrical department.
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