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Murdock Scott and Shawn O'Neill comprise Payne's Grey. They formed the group in 1992, after kicking around with a number of bands in the Dallas, Texas area. Their music, however, sounds more L.A.-based; it's a dark mix of Trent Resnor meets the Electric Prunes in a black mass of D minor. There's a sinister undercurrent to their music that runs under all of the eight track on PULL IT DOWN.

PULL IT DOWN is a difficult CD to get a handle on. The one instrumental and seven vocal tracks on the disc don't necessarily fit into any particular niche, though they touch on and straddle a number of genres --- metal, industrial, even folk in a spot or two. 

The tracks are reminiscent of early 70s' metal, made more so by Scott's vocal affectations and O'Neill's dark psychedelic guitar licks. The problem here is the songs. 

"The Ride," which opens PULL IT DOWN, seems to go on for so long that you wonder if you missed a couple of exits. 

"Wet" which begins with the sound of water (blood?) Dripping has an interesting arrangement as the duo takes a less-is-more approach with what sounds to be a keyboard and percussion arrangement and in spots almost sounds like it could be a Queensryche outtake. The track, unfortunately, seems to meander about and ultimately closes without going anywhere. 

Another promising track, "The Trust," sinks under the weight of its own morass. If there are any winners here, it's to be found amongst the quieter tracks. 

The title track is vaguely reminiscent of Emerson, Lake, & Palmer's "From the Beginning." It's mostly Scott's vocals supported by O'Neill's acoustic playing, and demonstrates that the guys have an interesting sense of dynamics when they permit it to shine through. 

"Bang On Your Drum" is also interesting. Its intro, for some reason, reminded me of a dark, evil version of Snow White's Seven Dwarfs, those these guys aren't whistling while they work. The track has some interesting percussive variations under Scott's disturbing tonal poem (as opposed to rap), and is reminiscent of some of the more interesting things which Patti Smith did in the early days of her career. 

The final track on PULL IT DOWN, however, an instrumental entitled "Sound on Sound," is more indulgent noodling than anything else, and seems stuck at the conclusion of the CD almost as an afterthought.

While PULL IT DOWN in general lacks focus, it does contain some interesting idea nuggets scattered throughout the tracks to make it worth checking out at least one time through. The guys might find it helpful on the next outing to bring an extra pair of hands into the creative process just to keep them from going off track in some spots and staying on course in others.