Turn to Crime, Derek Stanton’s new experimental art punk creation, will soon be releasing their debut. The album, titled Can’t Love, is full of what Stanton has described as “post-whatever” music. A keyboardist, drummer, and vocalist, he recorded most of the album himself. The track “Forgiveness”, recently released, has obvious influences from art rock and punk masters Lou Reed, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop. It’s a fun, modern examination of that milieu with a wildly different geographical focus. Turn to Crime herald from Detroit where “stepping on” others is not like it is in New York. In smaller towns, Stanton says, when you get stepped on you “tend to feel it more.”
From the start there’s a pleasant simplicity in the relationship between the instruments. They seem to be having a casual conversation with one another. Stanton’s vocals definitely recall the late 60s/early 70s style of Bowie or Iggy. There’s less Lou Reed in the vocals, but definitely a bit of the Velvet Underground in the music. The singing is not particularly smooth or soothing, but rather shaky and dramatic. This performative quality is tempered by the easy instrumentation. The kind of in-between Stanton created fits perfectly with the forgiveness concept: to forgive may seem like a straightforward action, but there’s a lot of weight carried in the interior decision to let things go. It also distances Turn to Crime from David Bowie by emphasizing the “small town” quality and uncomplicated acts between more ordinary people (as opposed to Bowie’s rock star focus). This is a rather effortless look at pain and compassion. It could definitely have more insight. But it’s an enjoyable, classic ride.
Look for Can’t Love when it comes out July 1st and in the meantime give “Forgiveness” a listen:
