Sydney Eloise & The Palms Record Release Show at Mass Collective

Friday, October 2nd was a day of celebration for Atlanta’s very own Sydney Eloise & The Palms with their release show for their debut album Faces and the kickoff to their two-week tour. People came out to the carnivalesque decorated Mass Collective to help celebrate the momentous occasion.

Newark Wilder at Mass Collective

We started this Friday night off with an alt-psych experimental band named Newark Wilder a project from Benjamin Kinzer. Benjamin is a 16-year-old Atlanta native and is currently recording an album with The Cottage Recording Co. that should be out sometime next year. Yes, that’s right we said 16! Newark Wilder’s performance had us stunned. This is coming from a 16-year-old? Crazy to think that this kind of sound is coming from someone who just got a drivers license. Benjamin has a completely fresh take on post-punk and new wave. With songs like “Stephen Loves My Eyes” you can hear similarities of retro new-wave bands like Joy Division and New Order while combining influences of post-punk from bands like Atlanta alumni Deerhunter and Small Reactions. His set was full of his own songs and a cover of experimental rock group Can’s “Vitamin C” that left the crowd rather impressed. We know what we were doing at 16, and it certainly wasn’t recording our first album. This is someone to keep an eye on. We are looking forward to hearing his first full-length album.

Newark Wilder at Mass Collective

It would be a rather short wait for what the crowd came to Mass Collective to see. This would be Sydney Eloise & The Palms first live show in Atlanta since the release the week prior. Their debut album, Faces, was released on September 22nd from The Cottage Recording Co. on CD and LP, and on cassette by Bear Kids Recordings. Voted the most anticipated album this year by Creative Loafing’s Best Of ATL. Was all the hype worth the wait? Indeed it was! The most anticipated album in the ATL was something we instantly fell for. Faces has all the right feels needed in an album. It flows together cohesively; their recipe is perfect! They added the right amount of 50‘s Doo-wop with a pinch of Alt Country and the right dash of rock and roll needed to give you the punch you are looking for in an album. Sydney has been compared to many other artists Neko Case, and Jenny Lewis to name a few. Given what these guys are bringing to the table it’s easy to push those names right off and see the individuality of the band. Sydney Eloise & The Palms are giving a fresh take on what kind of music Atlanta is capable of producing. This record is an Indie-Pop dream that brings that 50’s quirkiness to their melodies and a 60‘s rock vibe to the harmonies to keep your feet stomping. You can tell that these guys are proud of their accomplishment, and deservedly so, it is a really beautiful and masterfully produced album from start to finish.

Sydney Eloise & the Palms Record Release Show

Sydney paraded the stage to what sounded like music that would be blaring at a three ring circus. She came adorned in her trademark marching band hat while wearing all white. In tow was the rest of the Palms while adorning the same hue. They embarked on a journey to deliver a set list of the entire album in the order it was produced. Sydney was more than appreciative of everyone making it out to see the band perform their latest accomplishment. She requested we “snuggle together” in the rather tight stage area, making sure everyone got the full experience of their performance. Sydney And The Palms were out to conquer their home base of Atlanta. As they began to bang on the drum, and Sydney started to sing you could see the excitement pouring out of all of them. This was it; it was their time to shine. Sydney beautifully belted out her compelling lyrics to each song wrapping you up in the sweetness of 50’s style bubblegum pop with songs like “ I Like You” and “Sorry, Not Sorry”. She has that cute sensibility about her that captivates your attention the minute she begins singing. The band brings you right in with the transition to slower more singer-songwriter songs like “Red Moon” and “Out of My Hands”. They leave us equally as transfixed by Sydney’s stunning voice and The Palms perfectly timed instrument. It’s an impeccable performance; you can’t help but smile because the live show is just as beautiful as the album. These guys have nailed it. They have elegantly translated and timed the arrangements perfectly. As the night progressed, and we were nearing the conclusion of the show, the band performed a beautiful rendition of their last song on the album “Loneliest Boy in NY”. They left the stage one by one while reciting the final verses of the song leaving the crowd cheering for an encore. It didn’t take much for Syd and the boys to jump back on stage and do a cover of Brenton Woods “Give Me Some Kind Of Sign”. It was the perfect close to a perfect evening.