A key part of the band's appeal is the contrast between the voices of brother-and-sister singers Ben and Courtney Shanks: Ben's reedy pipes and bordering-on-hysterical delivery are both atonal and oddly melodic at the same time, recalling Gordon Gano, Richard Hell, and a young Black Francis at different moments.
They may not be the most inventive band, but they are an enthusiastic one, and that energy goes a long way toward making Blood on the Wall so entertaining. Almost everything about Blood on the Wall's self-titled debut is hyperactive: all strummy guitars, jumpy rhythms, and yelped vocals, the album's dozen songs breathe new life into now-traditional indie rock moves.
