Hailing from the musical hot bed of the northwest, Slender Means is one of the latest in a long line of successful music acts from Seattle. The group has been around for a couple years now, but I just recently discovered them. Their discography is pretty limited so far, consisting of just a debut album, Neon & Ruin (2005), and an EP, Rock&Roll Machine (2007), but the stuff they have put out has caught my ear.The band's claim to fame is simply their song writing abilities. Their style of indie rock is simple and sweet, lacking the big time production effects of popular music, and the avant garde experimentalism of much of indie music. It's your basic indie rock, although I think the catchy hooks and melodies implored give it a slightly poppy side. There's a retro feel to their sound, kind of an oldies feel (almost like "Buddy Holly" by Weezer, but less cheesy) that mixes with a more aggressive tendencies to create an interesting dynamic. But even with the music picks up and the emotion rises, lead singer Josh Dawson seems to always remain calm and under control, just letting the music come to him.
As I said before, they really rely on the strength of their songs. Despite using traditional instrumentation, and not really pushing the musical envelope in terms of styles, they manage to write songs that are catchy yet unique. Its solid music that will entertain without overstimulating and stick in your head without annoying you to death. So check out Slender Means.
Slender Means - Telepathic Lovesick Heart
Slender Means - The Clerk
Slender Means - Foreign Legion
Happy Easter
-Alec
1 comment:
Who said the synth was dead?
I really enjoy these guys' sound. I think it's great that the synthesizer has crept bank into the accepted instrumentation of indie rock. The Farfisa and vibraphone really help fill out the sound in these tracks.
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