Back in September, I humped it up to Jersey City's Monty Hall to catch a Titus Andronicus tour kickoff show. The openers on that bill were Staten Island's Bueno. The room hadn't quite packed out yet when they played, but those of us that had gotten there early were treated to a great set of some very NYC-sounding post-punk / indie rock. And in that funny way that things always seem to work, I ran into Bueno frontman, Luke Chiaruttini, at the Lost Boy ? release show just two days later and got to tell him just how great I thought their set was.
Since then, I've been spending time with Buenuo's Illuminate Your Room, and I've been meaning to mention it. Just like the vibe I got from Bueno's Jersey City set, there's something about Illuminate Your Room that makes me think of the heavily-populated, fast-moving big city. Maybe it's the cool, matter-of-fact delivery of Chiaruttini. Maybe it's the occasional sax or the wonky guitars. There are definitely allusions to the style of New York icon Lou Reed (and many of those he influenced) throughout the record.
"I Got Your Back" and "Oh Lord I'm Confused" make for a standout one-two punch following instrumental opener "Rosebank 5:00AM (Intro)." "Eye on the Cards," with its jet-setting businessman-type narrator and 80s vibe, conjures images of Patrick Bateman in my mind. I'll probably listen to "Burn This Year" more than any other song during the closing weeks of 2016. "Babyface" is a short snapshot of outgrowing "the scene." The album sails out on the title track's billow of smoke.
Illuminate Your Room is one I've kept coming back to since that night back in September. I listen as I sit at CDMHQ thinking of bands I'd love to see play Asbury Park. I listen as I sit in traffic on the BQE heading up to Shea Stadium. I'm sure I'll keep listening for months and years to come.
Illuminate Your Room is out now on Babe City Records / Exploding In Sound Records.
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