Distants
Distants
Salinas Records (2024)
Something about this guitar tone always picks me up. Add in the raspy vocals and it really only takes me a few seconds into this record to know that Distants are my kind of band. Honestly, I’ve seen them before too, so I already knew that, but that was just a half set at The Fest, not a deep dive … Read more
Joyride!
Miracle Question
Salinas Records (2022)
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, a little birdy put this record on my radar in late 2021 and I enjoyed it, but kind of set it aside until its proper release. I liked it on first listen but, today, it just hits harder and deeper. Maybe it’s the right place and time as I manage stress … Read more
Partial Traces
Wild Surf/Quiet Blues
Salinas Records (2021)
Partial Traces play pop-inspired keyboard rock – but not at all the kind you imagine when you hear those words. In pop songs, the keyboard generally brings melodrama or atmosphere. In Partial Traces, those two ideas meet in the middle. It’s emotional and serious, but instead of dramatic, it’s tonal. It feels real and authentic, which largely comes from the … Read more
Quaker Wedding
In Transit
Salinas Records (2020)
Sometimes when you take a test drive, you know right away that it’s the car for you.Quaker Wedding, if they were a car (sorry, but I’m going to drive this metaphor as far as I can), would be the 150,000+ mile American economy vehicle I drove for a decade in the ‘90s. It’s unique and agile, but with rust spots, … Read more
Vacation
Existential Risks & Rewards
Salinas Records (2021)
I’ve been fighting the urge to just quote John Hoffman from when I interviewed another one of his bands, The Mimes, earlier this year, because I think he described his songwriting style really well in it. Instead, you get a vague, shameless plug, though I’ll circle back after more explanation. On their latest offering, Vacation hasn’t wildly changed. Existential Risks … Read more
