max lee
Colors of Noise
(Green Vibrations)

NYC experimental rock & roll/electronic artist max lee has released his 18-song collection Colors of Noise, and there is certainly lots of both color and noise delivered here.

Opening with “Finder’s Keeper” we are hit with some background talking over phased guitar for the first half of the tune, lee’s moaning warble atop the mélange. A noisy stuttering drum beat picks up from the nearly unending lethargy as lee sings as well he can under all the effects on his vocals to the song’s end.

“Open,” fares better for me, as it indeed opens up from the slow molasses-like drip piano and beat into some well-reasoned heavy plodding, and “History” strikes a good punk striking from its opening, flowing into some U2-like guitar lines and a real solid beat.

When lee is on point with his sonicscape bleeps and experimentation he really hits it out of the park, as he does on songs like the short, drum machine-backed, oh-so-sad “Could Be,” his breathy, off-tune vocals working perfectly, and the tight little beat and jangly guitar of “2livealife.”

There is actually a heavy snare rock guitar slashing to “The Key,” a nice loud change of pace. “Forever,” is another one that gives us a tight little beat to hang our hat on, some cool drum playing here from lee, as well as guitar noodling. As “BTWN,” providing a drumbeat of a different order and more of lee’s moaning warble. Yet this time his vocalizing works in the imminent danger this tune surfs across.

There’s a lot going on in max lee’s singular vision, Colors of Noise.