Last night I ventured fifteen minutes from the L train to see The Press play at The Glasslands Gallery. I was not disappointed. Located across the street from the old Domino Sugar factory, Glasslands epitomizes the gritty/beautiful aesthetic of Williamsburg. It’s one of the few places in its vicinity that’s not abandoned, let alone open on a Tuesday night. The front door says it all:

Inside, the Gallery is wonderfully inviting. The stage is lit by Christmas lights bursting out from a gigantic toilet-paper (or cotton ball?) cloud. Little bits of art were all around. It was a wonderful place to hear music.

Now on to the music itself.

Show openers Orion Five had a lot of good ideas. Their riffs were often interesting, and their close harmonies were a really nice touch, lending a backbone on which to drape their mostly ambient rock. Overall, though, they just sounded inexperienced, and very few ideas were realized into a concrete sound. There was one instrumental break during their last song, where a winding bass riff seethes underneath a power chord, which was really magical. Guys, go back to that riff and figure out what you’re doing right there. For a second time stood still; that’s gotta be a good sign.

The Press play tight, guitar-based indie pop with a hard edge. They remind me of a fleshed-out Modest Mouse or an updated Posies. Brooklynites by way of Atlanta, they’ve been playing together since 2005, and that experience shows. Their top-heavy sound struck just the right balance between refined grace and coarse noise. Guitarists David Schneider and Michael Henry like to thrash their strings with the high-end turned all the way up while Alex Picca wails expertly on his drums and Bassist John Walsh forms the floor with simple yet effective bass lines. Often in indie bands, the drumming is where the real action is, and The Press is no exception. Whether Picca was playing a straight up 90’s power rock 4/4 or an eccentric 7/8, every downbeat was powerful, and he pushed the band forward.

The other three members of the band – Schneider, Henry, and Walsh – took turns singing last night, but Walsh’s voice was by far the best. That’s not to say Schneider and Henry can’t sing. Their falsetto crooning was great in its own right, but Walsh’s voice was lower, fuller, and more surprising, with an extra punch that he could turn on and off at will. It was used best in a particular new (and, unfortunately, unnamed to the audience) song. Walsh turned his voice into a machine gun, letting loose a staccato string of syllables above the ever-present slashing guitars and the heavy, killer beat. It was the best song of the night.

Last night was my introduction to The Press, and to Glasslands. I plan on seeing a lot more of both of them. And so can you! The Press doesn’t seem to be touring anytime soon, but they’ve got a bunch of free songs on facebook and myspace, and a fun video too. Stuff’s always going on at Glasslands, and even if you’re not in the mood for music you can go check out their awesome art without the soundtrack.