CD Review: The Morning Benders "Talking Through the Tin Cans" (+1)
redtun...@gmail.com
Sometimes a buzz band earns its keep. Such is the case with The
Morning Benders' first full-length CD, which refines and expands upon
the cheerily-depressed power-pop of their two earlier EPs. The group's
defining sounds remain Chris Chu's vocals (high, melodic and often
double-tracked) and hook-filled melodies, and their DIY self
production leans to a narrow, nearly monophonic soundstage that
provides the punch of great AM pop. Chu's songs of broken hearts,
retribution-laced screeds, and the occasional thought of
reconciliation are just the sort of go-ahead-and-try-and-pull-yourself-
up-by-your-bootstraps pep-talks from which power pop legends are made.
Though Chu's voice strongly echoes that of The Shins' James Mercer,
there's also a dose of Ray Davies' quixotic sing-song as the lyrics
mull over unfaithfulness that can't be unrung ("You know very well
what you did that day"), hearts that can't be unbroken ("Now I've got
no heart left"), and a good deal of healthy whining and wallowing
("Why can't you just say what you mean?" and "I've seen love kick a
man while he's down"). There's also the sense of melancholy of early
'70s UK pop bands like Edison Lighthouse, Flying Machine and
Marmalade. The album grabs you with its punchy mix, especially the up-
front drums and bass. The spare use of organ adds a touch of mystery
to songs that slam one into the next with nary a breath between; the
drum segue from "I Was Wrong" to "Loose Change" is the sort a college
DJ would brag about for years.
Chu lashes out here and there, but he's more contemplative of his
plight than despondently lovelorn. Still, you get the life and death
sense of a 20-something falling in and out (mostly out) of love. The
group's music is actually quite jaunty, even as Chu sings wounded
lyrics like "here I am in a graveyard, waiting for a war." The
friction between the upbeat guitar-laden music and the desperate
sentiments adds to the sense of youthful disorientation, but even when
the backings are taken down to an acoustic guitar, such as on "Heavy
Hearts" (with its parental consideration, "Don't let the heavy hearts
pile up on you") the emotions weigh just as heavily.
Drummer Julian Harmon and bassist Tom Or provide a solid bottom-end
that's heavy, melodic and swinging all at once, and guitarist Joe
Ferrell adds terrific emotional flourishes. The dynamic arrangements
can drop from a full-blown pop thrash to a whispery voice-and-guitar
passage, highlighting the latter and providing room to rebuild the
wall of sound. The band's often likened to the Beatles (and "When
We're Apart" suggests an infatuation with Lennon's "Julia"), a
comparison to the pop-craft of mid-period Pink Floyd (minus the spacey
instrumental passages and sound effects) is also quite apt. This is a
real winner from a buzz band that's made good on their buzz. [(c)2008
redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]