Plastic Cactus (Plactus) is a dark & moody four-piece from Portland, OR. Built on the desert-inspired surf rock sound that Plastic Cactus developed while writing and recording their debut EP Pricks in 2017, they have now released their second four-song EP, Moth Eyes, that was recorded earlier this year.
“Nothing”, the single from the Moth Eyes EP, captures the feeling of being trapped into a banal routine. You are immediately lulled by the bass line and hauntingly soft vocals; although the giddy-up percussion builds anticipation of a higher tempo, the song wanes back into a lull by the vocals repeatedly breathe the lyric “feels like nothing”.
Dueling, intertwined, spaghetti-western inspired guitar parts set the stage for the story that “Moth Eyes” (which titled the EP) tells about a whispering skull that warns of imminent death. The song picks up at this warning, and after a series of eerie “oohs”, the song is cast into a minute-long outro with surf-inspired leads.
In “Off Beat”, the percussion reminiscent of a rattlesnake’s rattle to deter or warn predators must be a metaphor for the disappointing ex-boyfriend that “can’t even keep a beat”.
The final track of the EP, “Tumbleweeds (Plactus Theme)”, has a guitar melody that resembles a Sergio Leone soundtrack. This song (and the entire EP) is concluded with horns that completes the imagery of mounting a horse and riding towards the desert’s horizon.
Lauren Miles Photography
STAFF CONTRIBUTION: Nikki A. Basset
not your boys club 