Best Songs: Chastity Jeans, Lake Michigan Dream, Tailspins, Delta
FCC Violations: Conversation With Pietro
This Seattle-based rock band is everything you’d find in an indie stereotype. From the flannel and the sound, this group seems to tally up the score pertaining to meeting the conventional image of indie rock. That’s not to say the band is bad. Actually, they are quite good.
The backing vocals and guitar tracks help deter me from leaving the Coach Phillips train due to the Pacific Northwest appeal and there’s definitely some stuff on Never Is Enough to hold my attention and keep me satisfied. The male/female vocals and instrumentation are well executed BUT side A is like listening to one dreary song for about 20 minutes. It kind of makes me think they are staying in one key because it seems like the vocal melodies stay in the same progression. But hey, who am I though? I don’t know the first thing about singing and even my shower voice makes my cat meow aggressively while throwing his paw through the curtain in an attempt to save me from whatever is attacking me. (This is not a joke)
Okay, let’s get on to some good stuff. Chastity Jeans is a fun one. I’m not quite sure if it’s an ode to a special girl or not, but the song sounds a lot happier than the rest of side A. It has some sliding riffs, a singalong pre-chorus, and chorus, along with a harmonica section which is tastefully done.
Lake Michigan Dream has an awesome bass track and some surprising guitar licks that sneak up on you. The lyrics “Let’s move back to Michigan/Stay by the lake and “I really want to jump back in/and try not to sink” has haunting appeal, especially with the melodies by Wade Phillips and Jessica Kim. There’s a lot to grasp in terms of cool sections in this one.
Summer In Seattle, the intro track to side B has some peculiar riffs and above the average rhythm section. It’s an instrumental lasting only 1:32 but transitions nicely into the next song Tailspins which has a beachy vibe to it while still incorporating the sound of the band. The guitar parts have a neoclassical feel to them, sliding up and down the neck. I can these two songs are my favorite section of Never Is Enough.
This is the first album that has come my way in a while that I’m happy to put in my library. Minus the contemporary Seattle stereotype, I can’t wait to give this another listen and let it sink in.
-Justin