This Car Up

This Car Up are at an interesting juncture in their career, where they can play shows where at least the first three rows of people are singing along loudly to their songs, but can still be considered one of the better kept secrets of the Boston music scene. Taking the melodic sensibility and unhinged emotion of 90's bands such as Elliott and Mineral, and filtering it through the epic tendencies of post rock groups such as Explosions In The Sky, This Car Up presents one of the more heart-stopping shows one can see in the Boston area.

Recently, the group made their way to Silver Sonya studios in Virginia to record their new full length album, Smile When You're Alone, with producer/Aloha member TJ Lipple. The album neatly summarizes the past two years for the group, touring around the east coast and the midwest. While listening to This Car Up's music, one almost feels like they are in the van with the group, staring out on the vast expanses of America as Eric Glassman and Paul Sentz's vocals paint intimate, emotional pictures. These are all resting on the granite-solid, yet inventively subtle rhythm section of bassist Kevin MacDonald and drummer Barry Marino. Kurt Schneider adds the texture to the group, with colorful synth parts that are never intrusive or overwhelming. Sentz and Glassman, the guitarists in addition to vocalists, can play something twinkly and melodic one moment, and then something raging and dissonant the next.
Mild-mannered in person, it all melts away when these five people step on stage and grab their instruments. Each show is a truly affecting performance, unique each time it happens. This Car Up are proving to be an ever-evolving group that will only continue to surprise with future releases. It is sincerely exciting to watch it all happen.