Charlotte rock quartet Grown Up Avenger Stuff has defined itself as a live band thanks to countless shows in and out of town. The glowing stage presence and vocal range of singer Deirdre Kroener is backed by the driving guitar work of John Thomsen and his sons — the flailing, hammering, thunderous drumming of Tyler Thomsen and the rhythms of bassist Hunter Thomsen. Some of that energy has been lost on previous recordings, coming off as too clean and amateur. With Sparkleton, the band’s third release, GUAS has finally hit its stride in the studio.
Four songs were recorded with Jesse Clasen (Hrvrd, The Bear Romantic) and two recorded with the Evening Muse’s Joe Kuhlmann. Both are able spotlight the band’s finer qualities and draw out the onstage potency.
Kroener’s vocals clearly convey emotion but remain raw enough to revel in the surrounding rock ‘n’ roll. While she can scream with the best of them, she doesn’t need to do it on every song. Kroener finds moments of clarity while being able to balance her vocal styles to keep the listener attentive. Just when you think you’ve heard it all, she lets out a shriek (“Pins”). Meanwhile, Tyler Thomsen gets plenty of moments to show why he’s one of the best drummer the Queen City has to offer. John and Hunter Thomsen play off of each other to give the songs more depth — especially on “The Man,” as Hunter’s scales provide a backdrop to John’s chords and riffs.
The album’s only weakness comes on the first half of “The Beat,” while the band attempts to display a funky side. It’s a throwaway track if not for the late interlude of Kroener’s anguished voice.
While I’d normally steer rock fans to check out GUAS the in the live setting first, Sparkleton is a solid primer for the band’s sound and style.
This article appears in Apr 24-30, 2013.
