Dagger Zine Review of Quin Galavis’ The Battery Line

In which the Austin musician (and member of The Dead Space) comes back quickly, hot on the heels of his 2016 double album My Life in Steel and Concrete (I still need to hear his 2011 solo debut Should Have Known). This record is poppier and more song-oriented record as My Life In was much darker and more experimental…not that The Battery Line isn’t dark at times, it certainly has its moments, but overall its more of a rock/pop record “Garden Wall” is a perfect opener, showing that the guy means business with a blast of raucous guitars (at first I thought Galavis played everything but no, he’s got a band on the record) while “No Return” shows that he might have been listening to some of that folk rock that was coming out of Los Angeles in the late 60’s (maybe The Byrds or Love). It’s obvious that the guy’s got a big musical palette and wants to expand and expound. The moody “Paul’s Phone is Dead” seems to take a page or two out of the Velvet Underground songbook while “Bleed With Me” is a low-key chamber pop number and definitely one of Galavis’ best songs yet. Side two kicks off with the 90’s alt pop of “Faces in the Crowd” (dig those backing vocals) while “Question’ has a sweet little groove to it that you want to play all day and “Any Head” spits and kicks like the best melodic garage punk does. From where I’m standing (actually sitting) I see a guy like Galavis with ideas bursting in his head that need to get out. He seems fearless and will try anything. Hell, he may make a straight country record next time out and if he does it, I’ll still be listening. www.supersecretrecords.com