Prism Tats [CD], Prism Tats, CD

Prism Tats front man Garett van der Spek knew from an early age that rock and roll was not only his calling but his window—and rocket ship—to the outside world. While proud of his South African origins, it was through his parents record collection that he was spoon fed western rock ‘n roll, pop and R’nB, and it left it’s mark. Although Prism Tats began as a one-man band with a drum machine keeping beat for van der Spek’s quite modestly self-described “yelping and noodling”, it has quickly gained momentum: after enlisting a live drummer, local performances at the Bootleg, the Echo and the Growlers 3rd annual Beach Goth Party have begun to turn Angelenos’ heads. Their debut, self-titled, album is bookended by the reverb-laden “Pacifist Masochist” at the start and the back-to-back tag-team of “Haunt Me” and “Know It All” at the finish. This trio of songs recalls the ghostly throwback groove-stomp and fuzzy warmth of bands like The Jesus & Mary Chain and The Raveonettes, with Van der Spek flexing his vocal chops in different registers.