Arms Entwined is the most unassuming band of guys you’ll ever see. In fact, I think their image is…well…having no image whatsoever, which is really quite refreshing. These guys don’t spend their days shopping and playing dress up. By halfway through the first song it was clear – they spent their time playing music.

Tim Penwell on vocals/guitar, Dan Gaskill on drums and Armando Meza on bass guitar got on stage at The Office Bar donning tees and jeans with a cool, nonchalant attitude. Saying very little to lead off the first song, Penwell vocally dived right in to the piece with a soprano wail as he and Meza thrashed their strings with a furious intensity. An instantaneous flashback of Joy Division came to mind, and as Gaskill walloped the drums, my ears were berated by punk cacophonies, but my mind satiated by the sweet coos of emo-alternative. Ah-ha! – the complete package. Not too poppy, nor too rancorous, but balanced, rhythmic, and catchy.

“Suicide Bomb” is a really clever song, and by far, my favorite. Gaskill has a way with the drums – he pops, crackles and pounds them with ferocious muscle and speed. Within seconds of its start, the song’s seductive pulse required a slight boogie on my part., and I would have gone all-the-way moshy if it weren’t for the lack of intoxication. Penwell vocally hammers the audience with fetching hooks, ranging his notes from sing-song soprano to shrill ear-splitters.

Arms Entwined is fresh, current and original. The mesh of masculine Dead Kennedy percussion and saccharine Joy Division desolation is both creative and evolutionary. These dudes have a tank of talent underlying a likable image and addictive sound. I definitely want to see Arms Entwined again – only this time with a longer set and at a place with a better sound system.

Photo Credit: Michael Klayman / www.seemichaelsphotos.com