Petty Thief - ​Whatever Keeps You Standing

Petty Thief

​Whatever Keeps You Standing
self-released; 2015

3.6 out of 5

By Andrew Westberry

Petty Thief, a three-membered alternative rock band from Houston, Texas, is comprised of Rian Pierce, Kyle O’Donnell and Erick Sandoval. Their record Whatever Keeps You Standing, a tribute to the idea of coping with life, is the band’s debut release and has opened up opportunities for the band to perform at live shows.

A fuzzy, energetic guitar atmosphere drives “Nuclear Family” and opens the album with crashing cymbals and hard-hitting drums. The vocals of the song, pasted with heavy doses of reverb and delay, sink right into the heart of the song while maintaining a listenable edge and not becoming lost in the mix. The song is masterfully blended and draws the listener in to hear the remainder of the music.

“Full Circle” begins with a hypnotic cyclic riff before spiraling into a full-fledged punk rock song. The vocals of this tune are accompanied by additional vocal harmonies but the guitars and percussion sound very similar to those in the first track. This song carries a bright, sunny energy along with the dark side of rock and preserves a delicate balance between the two.

The vitality of the album reaches a peak in “No Love Lost,” which is characterized by unfettered vocal energy, throbbing drumbeats and screaming guitars. This song is extremely catchy, and its accessibility and unrestrained emotion makes it a definite highlight of the album. “Solstice” brings the album to a close with a slightly more relaxed tempo, albeit one surrounded with many layers of sound. “Solstice” incorporates new, experimental techniques with the band’s characteristic aura to create an altogether complete song.

While only four songs in length, Whatever Keeps You Standing is a engaging testament to the band Petty Thief, and the outright enjoyability of their songs will undoubtedly propel many fans their way.

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