Pylon Reenactment Society - Magnet Factory (2024) Hi Res

Every American college town is haunted by the ghosts of still-legendary local bands that never made it big nationally. Formed at the University of Georgia in Athens in 1978 and championed by famous hometown fans including members of R.E.M. and the B-52's, Pylon opened for acts like Gang of Four and Talking Heads before breaking up for the first time in 1983 after playing with U2, whose audience, according to singer Vanesa Briscoe Hay, "was just not into us at all." Forty years later, Hay has reignited the spark as Pylon Reenactment Society; it's not exactly a reunion, as she is the only original member. "Pylon is our guiding star, but we're not Pylon," Hay has said. But there is no mistaking the lineage on Pylon Reenactment Society's debut.

Quirky "Educate Me" kicks in with blistering No Wave guitar, punchy bass and echo filters Hay whooping "It's not a crime" before sliding into its poppy chorus. The song feels lost in time: It perfectly fits 2024 but could be a satellite transmission from early '80s college radio. Hay's off-kilter humor shines on "Boom Boom," delivering the big title in a quiet little understated voice. Known for her aggressive, anxious vibe on classics like "Crazy" (which R.E.M. covered on Dead Letter Office), Hay still sounds urgent even as there is a new softness around certain words that almost make her Southern accent sound Australian a fascinating affect. She snarls and purrs on power-tripping "Messenger."

The excellent "Flowers Everywhere" is a vibrant, sunny jangle that highlights the original band's influence on early R.E.M. (After Rolling Stone named R.E.M. the best band in America in 1987, drummer Bill Berry said they got it wrong: It was Pylon.) Sleater-Kinney has also credited Pylon for inspiration, and you really get it on tracks like spiky "3 x 3," which actually started as a song for the original band, and "Fix It," all sharp-elbows angularity and featuring Kate Pierson of the B-52's yelping alongside Hay. The latter has found the perfect lineup, plucked from Athens' Casper & the Cookies, to recharge her past. Bassist Kay Stanton is a star here, adding hip-swinging rhythm (particularly on menacing "Compression"), and Jason Nesmith is a fine complement for the late, legendary Pylon rhythm guitarist Randall Bewley. Drummer Gregory Sanders pulls out an art-school smart, tricky beat for "I'll Let You Know," which finds Hay asking, "Will you remember me when I'm gone?" Yes, ma'am.