The Key Studio Sessions: Restorations

From the layers of instrumental swell that lead into their songs, to the years they spent playing live without an album, Philly rock five-piece Restorations has been all about the build-up. This ragtag bunch of punk-rock refugees first emerged on local stages circa 2008, their songwriting pointed down the path of distortion pedal Americana and their well-worn amp heads cranked. The band’s self-titled debut released in April of this year on Tiny Engines Records was well worth the wait, and its Key Studio Session (co-engineered by XPN2’s Maddie Lesperance) proved to be one of our loudest and most energetic to date. Album opener “Non Locality” shook the studio walls with its dramatic pacing: instrumental parts are added, echoed, and embellished until they drop away for fist-swinging four-part harmonies. “Frankford”—an ode to singer/guitarist Jon Loudon’s home turf in the near Northeast section of the city—was a roaring onslaught, and anthemic closer “Val d’Or” was still ringing in our heads long after we packed up for the night. Dig in and download below, or check out this force of auditory nature in person when Restorations opens for True Widow at Kung Fu Necktie on Aug. 14.