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Pulley

Time-Insensitive Material (2009)
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Contributed by: xcarlupanddiex
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Published on April 10th 2009

You must know I am a huge Pulley fan, but especially, I have always been a huge Scott Radinsky fan, having followed him from his first Ten Foot Pole album Rev, going back to his first band Scared Straight, and then seeing him releasing such great albums with Pulley, who disappointed me only with Together Again for the First Time. I even drove about 200 km to see them in a small club in Genoa with Belvedere (amazing show, by the way!).

With that said, when I read around the internet they were releasing a new album on Epitaph I was stoked. You can't even imagine how sad I was when they then said they were releasing "just" a five-song EP on their own. I was quite disappointed. Not for the Epitaph thing (even though I was quite used to seeing these guys releasing music for Brett, but you know, Brett doesn't seem to like good music anymore), but for the fact that this was an EP. Just a few tunes, and I always need more!

With that said, after hearing the band's new effort Time-Insensitive Material, I must say I am totally enjoying the new songs. They sound totally new to me, and I can hear a new Pulley style, taking their music into a new direction, where the melodies are not just there to sound pleasant to your ears, but the aggression is there too, and Scott's message is always there. I could describe his lyrics as Leopardian cosmic pessimism but with a lot of humanity hidden inside.

As they did on their self-titled album (also known as @#!*), which was filled with amazing songs as "Gone" and "Second Best," this new EP is filled with amazing material as "Ghost Inside of Me" and "Mandarin," which are two of the most inspired tunes the band has released in years; the line "Someone tell the stars to go away, I'd like the sky real black today" describes in a perfect way the mood you get while listening to the music behind those lines. "Enemies" is probably my least favorite song on the record; Scott's melodic lines alternate to a screamed voice that reminds me of some tune on their record 60 Cycle Hum, the band's most experimental album to date.

"Rattling Rust" is my personal favorite anthem on this EP, as you can find about three parts in it -- the slower one, the more aggressive one with the fast guitar riffs when Scott starts singing the verses and the super catchy choruses ("And I can't believe this is how it ends, I lost you as a friend, and I'm moving on and on and on to bigger dreams, it's just the way I planned and that's the way it is") that puts me in a good mood, because when you are master of your destiny in the end, that's what matters.

"The Never Ending," the opening track, is maybe the one sounding more classic Pulley, as the fast guitar riffs are there as well as a lot of melodic lines and choruses.

Pulley has never disappointed me, including this time. It's "just" a five-song EP, and the music industry will swallow it and digest it very fast, but if you like good, positive and aggressive music made to make you change the way you see things, you must consider spending some time with Pulley; they have so much good advice to give.

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alien (February 7, 2011)

Didn't check this out til know, but I am pleasantly surprised. I mean, I never disliked the band, but they never stood out that much to me. but I am really enjoying the ep.

Dedricthere (May 31, 2010)

Rattling Rust is the one

burk (January 3, 2010)

I enjoy every minute of this EP. Great melodic songs and scott sings really great as usual

punkrockiesBXQ (December 5, 2009)

my favorite one is mandarin, but the whole ep kicks ass

ItsAgiftANDaCurse (May 29, 2009)

One of the best five-song EP's I've heard. This will definitely be on my year end list (can't say that about most EP's). I can't wait til they put out a new full-length!

belfast-sxe-vegan-madman (April 13, 2009)

anyone know if the dudes in Pulley are VEGAN? thinkin they could maybe attent my special VEGAN workshops on being VEGAN on the road and staying VEGAN, thanks

timahelm (April 13, 2009)

great EP! all 5 songs are great!

crashtester (April 13, 2009)

A nice effort from Pulley and Matt Hyde for that matter. Guy never knew how to handle Strung out's sound but this is good work. I just don't think these guys have the time to spend with each other for full length's and any kind of solid touring which is a shame. 04' was a good year though, saw them twice.

jesuswoks (April 13, 2009)

Haven't heard this yet, but score is for Bad Reputation. Man, that song kicks so much ass.

bathroom_surgery (April 12, 2009)

pulley and strung out have never been the same without jim cherry

XHenkkaX (April 12, 2009)

Ten Foot Pole's first album was "Swill" which had Jordan Burns on drums.

Swill is technically a Scared Straight album, just later reissued as Ten Foot's.

ABCDEFUCK (April 12, 2009)

great ep!

punk_rawk_show (April 12, 2009)

Was a bit disapointed with this EP, one because its not a full length, and two because matters held the bar so high.

Definitely a great cd, but no where near as good as matters. Pulley have never released anything bad, same goes for radisnky, guy is a god.

maladroit (April 12, 2009)

does this have that same weird layered vocal sound like all of matt hyde's shit does? it completely ruined the last album and the last two strung out albums for me.

Jephso (April 11, 2009)

Kinda forgot about Pulley until they released this recently.

Scott Radinsky's vocal tones are amazing as always. And the music is catchy and tight. Love it.

Review is OK. Could have done without the bitching about Brett in paragraph 2.

Hey_Asshole (April 11, 2009)

i never understood the point of reviewing new material from old Epitaph or Fat Wreck bands.

except in the case of No Use For A Name or (kind of) Lagwagon, all those bands put out new records that sound just like their old records.

all this review needed to say is "It sounds like Pulley"

mikexdude (April 11, 2009)

Woah hold on. Mikexdude rules hard. Back off.

Aw, shucks.

damo (April 11, 2009)

i own 4 pulley albums. problem i have is that their songs always sound as though they are gonna be the greatest in the world then they die off. i still like this though though i probably won't listen to it in 2 weeks

damo (April 11, 2009)

mandingo>mandarin

CBSrocksteady (April 11, 2009)

grrrrreat review

overdefined (April 11, 2009)

Woah hold on. Mikexdude rules hard. Back off.

the_other_scott (April 11, 2009)

i liked scott radinsky the most when he was on the dodgers. viva los doyers!

whoostin (April 11, 2009)

Ten Foot Pole's first album was "Swill" which had Jordan Burns on drums. Matt Hyde (Exile in Oblivion/ Blackhawks over L.A) produced this and it does sound great!

tinner (April 11, 2009)

I wouldn`t say that these songs sound new at all, but basically if you like pulley you`ll like this ep.

fox82 (April 11, 2009)

I haven't really ever liked any of their records, as much as "60 Cycle Hum". This EP is pretty sweet, but it won't blow your mind or anything.

dropkicksoul (April 11, 2009)

Awesome. Whoever produced/mixed this is a genius.

binaural111 (April 11, 2009)

fantastic. can't stop listening

pufferfish (April 11, 2009)

mikexdude is a fucking dork.

mikexdude (April 10, 2009)

With that said, after hearing the band's new effort Time-Insensitive Material, I must say I am totally enjoying the new songs. They sound totally new to me, and I can hear a new Pulley style.

My OCD is hitting me hard there. Anyways, this was a bit disappointing considering (strangely enough), pulley is one of the few skate punk bands I enjoy.