Okay, it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: what do you get when you take five former residents of the USSR, put them in a band, and move them to San Francisco? The answer, completely seriously, is Attik Door, an alternative rock outfit that hearkens back to the Bay Area of the early ’90s, just before those punk kids in Oakland invaded. On their newest album, Never in Agreement, lead songstress Liana Tovmasyan channels vocalists like Gwen Stefani, adding that biting touch that gives this band its kickass edge.
Over the record’s 10 tracks, Attik Door explores a range of both melodic and lyrical territory. Its lead single, “Posers” is an all lash-out rager that sucks the listener in with its explosive feel. That same energy carries the material and takes the listener on a high-octane ride. Standouts include “Fuel,” with its distinct Red Hot Chili Peppers sound, the blistering “Snorting Headlines,” and the particularly Stefani-like “Spinning Out.” If you’re looking for a slight reprieve from the nonstop pace, “California” and “Kosmos” are as close as Never in Agreement comes to ballad territory, but don’t expect a long respite — the band is anxious to get going again.
So, what’s the punch line to my joke above? Well, there really is none, because Attik Door is the real deal. If you’re looking for music that packs a punch, isn’t afraid to speak its mind, and is picking up the slack for what rock ‘n’ roll has lost over the decades, I suggest you head to the Bay and seek out this quintet. They obviously know what they’re doing.
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