Stoner Control To Release Sophomore Album ALONE IN THE CITY 8/31

Stoner Control has returned with their sophomore album, Alone in the City (out Aug 31 on Blade Records). You can listen to the full album now (see New Noise album stream and track-by-track with the band).

Taking inspiration from the rich sonic history of the Pacific Northwest, Stoner Controlfuses a high-energy pop-punk sound with the lo-fi aesthetic of their hometown of Portland's thriving underground indie rock scene. The band infuses their lyrics with an honesty that is both playful and raw, creating driving melodies that have won comparisons to the Thermals, Built to Spill, and Superchunk.

Alone in the City marks an evolution from the raw and unfiltered sound of the band's self titled debut, a heavy and fast-paced tribute to the golden age of alternative rock. While still keeping their original DIY aesthetic, Alone in the City features a cleaner and brighter sound featuring the jangly guitars and melodic pop of classic 60s rock 'n roll, echoing the Byrds, Big Star, and the early Who and Rolling Stones. Lyrically, the album represents a shift from the highly personal towards towards a more open ended approach to story telling, without abandoning Stoner Control's trademark playful melancholy. The album was once again produced by Hutch Harris of the Thermals who joined them at engineer Victor Nash's Portland studio, Destination: Universe.

KEXP says "The song is pop-friendly nearness to the loosey-goosey allure of early Pavement; Greenspan and Catchart as a rhythm section are tight, but not so tight as to where the gears start breaking, while Williams' guitar purrs and whinnies politely."

Producer, Hutch Harris describes the band as "young, loud and raucous like Nirvana or the Who, but also sincerely introspective, like Built to Spill or Bright Eyes." in a forward he wrote for the Talkhouse about the band, adding "They sounded like all of these bands but still had their own take, and I heard just enough of a Thermals influence that I knew I was obligated, perhaps even destined, to join their team and help them make a great record."

Stoner Control will celebrate the release of Alone in the City with a hometown release show on Thursday at Kelly's Olympian in Portland ORE.

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