In a weird way, it does. The budding Oklahoma City trio released Sleepy Weather — a five-song demo of sorts — just a month after the band’s conception, each track abstaining from any semblance of formula. With a range of influences spanning from sultry lounge and folk jangles to Adult Swim hip-hop and chilled electronica, that it amounts to anything more than a hot mess is remarkable. Yet, through a combination of infectious pop construction and an endearing experimental zeal, Bowlsey easily, breezily surpasses this threshold.
Each monikered member offers his or her own unique skill set: Clarissa “Cid” Castillo sings with rhythm, blues and cheeky conviction; Taylor “Shraz” Mercier, multi-instrumentalism and a husky, MF Doom-like cadence; “The Reverend” Justin Hogan, ivory-tickling and compositional clout. But rather than carving out some sort of middle ground, the three precipitously flaunt their individual musical breadth.
It doesn’t always work (almost by design), but when it does — like the intro to “1111,” the outro to “Extracurricular” and pretty much all of “Selfish” — the results are often as gorgeous as they are refreshing. If Bowlsey can capture the same whimsical charm in future releases, Sleepy Weather will go down as the group’s charismatic foundation.
For more information, visit bowlsey1.bandcamp.com. —Zach Hale
Hey! Read This:
• Bowlsey interview
This article appears in Jul 31 – Aug 6, 2013.