Skip to main contentThe consensus around here is that Priory is going to be huge. Despite the fact that the band is altogether too saccharine and slick to fit the current, vaguely shambolic Portland aesthetic, it seems primed for the national limelight. The members' beards and tattoos suggest a certain rebelliousness, but its lyrics are often achingly straightforward and the music (recorded by Portland's Skyler Norwood, who also worked with Priory's Expunged Records labelmates Blind Pilot) rockets off in all the right places to capture the radio-pop listener's imagination—one not need be a musical rebel to get the gist of the song.
"Lady of Late" is the new Aaron Cronan-directed video (it just premiered over at Magnet) from Priory's just-released debut full-length. The song is a standout love song on an album full of love songs—reminds of post-"Float On" Modest Mouse and any number of post-Bright Eyes heartthrob balladeers, and its lovesick verses and fairy tale video (combined with the slightly distant charms of handsome frontman Brandon Johnson) are going to speak to teenage girls. As everyone knows, teenage girls run America...which is how we know that Priory is going to be huge.
None of which is to bash the band—first off, they're incredibly nice guys. Secondly, there's a lot of cool stuff going on here, from the chintzy drum machine/Casio intro to the sparkling guitarwork and legitimately stirring background vocals (yes, that's a man hitting the extremely high notes). Johnson's lead vox are delivered with just a touch of an accent—not British so much as Shakespearean...something the lyrics and look of the "Lady of Late" video compound—and that's going to be a bit of a sticking point, for better or for worse, for some listeners. All I'm saying is that I wouldn't be surprised to hear "Lady of Late" during the closing credits of the next Twilight film. Not that I watch Twilight films. But so what if I did?
WWeek 2015
