The Spring Standards are, as before mentioned, my babies. I love them. I was somewhat appalled to realize that it took me almost a full month to have heard about their new album, the double EP yellow//gold. Actually, very appalled. There were weeks, multiple weeks, where this was not in my life and it could have been, and that makes me pretty sad.
“Only Skin.” Heathervoice yesss. I love all of them, I do, but much like how I flip for Markétavoice in Swell Season numbers, I flip for Heathervoice in Spring Standards songs. Also, I love that these guys sing in harmony so often. Their harmonies are beautiful. Especially, hello, vocalizing harmonies. Ahs of beautiful harmony.
“Heavy Home.” Oh, well, twang, hello. These guys are unfailingly twangy in a great way and I love it about them. I can count on them to give me my hit of twang. Etcetera. Some more vocalizing harmonies, excellent. This record is starting out pretty mellow, which is a valid strategy. Crooked smiles, places in sadness, well, this is nice. I like songs that could be about love or a failure thereof but that don’t have to be. (I often choose to read them in that way.)
“Chicago.” I love that they all take turns on the singing, I really do. This song is also with the mellow; that makes sense, considering “that yellow reportedly focusing on nostalgia for the trio’s shared childhoods along the Pennsylvania/Delaware border and gold addressing their lives today in New York City.” The first seven tracks are yellow, and nostalgia is a feeling I’m definitely getting. That’s an interesting setup, and so far, they’re working it.
“Crushing Pennies.” More harmonies! All the harmonies!! Those just excite me so much. It’s not like they’re unheard of, but I am a huge sucked for them. Especially when they’re pretty constant and not just in parts. And these are constant. Also when they’re lady/manvoice mixed harmonies. Those are beautiful. Also, I’m getting a little triggered right now, possibly. And anyone who says “commandeered” in songs gets my love.
“Enemies.” Well, this is interesting. Nicely one-two-three one-two-three, nicely introspective. More beautiful Heathervoice. This song feels very thoughtful, which is not rare, again, but is good. It also feels very grand in that older-music kind of way. I want very desperately to acquire a copy of the Spring Standards on vinyl someday. I’m no snob about that kind of thing, but I think that vinyl could make some artists, these guys among them, sound even more heavenly.
“Wildfire Forest.” Ooh yesss. Twangy guitar following moody, grandly spacelike intro noises; I support this. I support songs that can include what sound to me like frequency noises and rock it. This one is getting pretty full and lovely, layering on top of itself, to which I say yum.
“So Simple So True.” Can that just be used to describe all of the music that these guys make? Because I think it’s a perfect description, really. I love piano intros like this. And right now I just want to hug them. This is a song that makes me feel like hugging. It’s almost-but-not-quite melancholy; it’s lovely, it’s sort of slow, but it’s not necessarily gloomy. I never feel like all gloom is the end of the story with their songs: even if things are sad, there’s the possibility it could be better someday.
“Nightmare.” You can definitely tell where yellow ends and gold begins; it’s a definite stylistic change. And wow, this is groovy. This is the good kind of retro and I really enjoy it. Seventies but not too seventies; there’s just enough modern to make it interesting, just enough retro to make it stylistic. And this is also my favorite kind of almost-creepy; it doesn’t really sound creepy, but if you listen to the words, it’s decidedly not as happy as it may seem with the jaunty piano and the hand-clapping and whatnot. And here’s a nice passage of jamming to wrap it up. Yes, I approve.
“Watch the Moon Disappear.” I have been pretty much obsessed with this song since I watched the music video last week. It’s just so driving and harmony-filled and luscious and I can think of at least three different ways to use it off of the top of my head, which is exciting. Not really sure which one will win yet, but I just. I enjoy this song so so so much. It seriously, legitimately rocks. Also, Heather is just shredding on the vocals. I love when she really lets loose like this.
“Rusty Wheels.” Still with the slightly retro, and I’m still on board. This song feels like the end of a movie, not the credits but the last scene leading up to, and I mean that in the best of ways. And more jams! Yes. So many beautiful instrumental breaks.
“Here We Go.” YES YES YES. Guitar action. The word “brain” in the first line. I am so into this. Some more frequency sounds but in a completely reasonable and working way. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed by music and want to run up to the musicians and ask them if it’s difficult to be so damn awesome; this is one of those times. Also I have a thing about songs about love but not being sure about love. So.
“Unmarked Pill.” This one is apparently seven and a half minutes long, so yes. I also have a thing about songs that are six minutes or longer. Oh, more delightful eighties sounds, but in the best way. This album is providing me a lot of glorious Heathervoice. And I just want to make a high school movie about coed platonic friends who fight zombies or something so I can put this song on the soundtrack. It sounds like it’s winding down halfway through, but that’s not going to happen, pfft no. Drumbeats. Here comes a whole other kind of song blended in beautifully. This is delightful to the point of my slight incoherencies.
“Watch the Moon Disappear,” now in acoustic. Different harmonies and it is… well, this version definitely makes me feel different things than the other. Not that I prefer one over the other, but acoustic recordings always make me feel a little wistful.
–your fangirl heroine.
