The Explorers Club - Freedom Wind

Here at The Heavy Hint when we hear of a band that likes the Beach Boys and then proceeds to release a 12-song disc that runs all of 35 minutes, we get pretty excited. We start to think short pop tunes, harmonies, lyrics about girls, etc.… and that’s a good thing, right?

Sure it’s a good thing. But then you get about three tracks into Freedom Wind, the first LP from The Explorers Club, and you realize that these guys like the Beach Boys maybe a bit too much. It’s all here, folks: the production, the lyrical content, the harmonies, and even the song titles sound like their lifted directly from some unreleased box set. Heck, the disc kicks off with the drumbeat from “Be My Baby” that Brian Wilson famously borrowed from Mr. Spector and used on “Don’t Worry, Baby.”

Despite this, there is clearly some talent behind this project. It’s rather amazing when you realize that these songs were NOT written by the Beach Boys. The Explorers Club’s ability to emulate their every move is impressive, if not a little Single White Female. You have to imagine what sort of attention would behold a band that came along sounding just like Led Zeppelin, and essentially writing new Zep tunes. Some folks would love it, most would not.

In many ways, we get it. We’ve all loved bands and wanted to recreate their every move, but we always thought the idea was to take that influence and do something new with it.

Band Site | MySpace

Reviews on deck...

In the next couple days we'll be tackling these discs:

The Weather Underground - Bird in the Hand EP
Their MySpace genres read "Indie / Soul / Americana." We'll let you know if they're telling the truth.

The Explorers Club - Freedom Wind
Apparently they dig the Beach Boys... let's hope they can sing too.

Foals - Antidotes

The Foals debut LP, Antidotes, seems to have a decent amount of history behind it, regardless of the fact that it was just released a few weeks ago. Long story short, they had a couple buzz-gathering singles in the UK, came to the states to record with TVOTR guitarist David Sitek (whose name is suddenly popping up all over), didn’t dig his mix, mixed it themselves and then had the privilege of Sub Pop picking up the finished product. Deep breath...

First impression after hearing the first couple tracks was, “where is the buzz coming from??” The songs at first are not very accessible at all. After a couple tracks, though, it starts to come together. There is a certain groove to the songs that is at times jarring, but then has us turning up the volume and wondering why we haven’t listened to more of TVOTR. “Red Socks Pugie” is the first standout track. It’s not our allegiance to a certain baseball team that makes us love this track, it’s that the fact that Foals find that hap-hap-happy medium between accessible pop and challenging prog. This is when they’re at their best and this track is the high-water mark of the disc.

The rest of the album is a mix of proggy rhythms and angular guitars matched up with (occasionally) memorable melodies. Other tunes like “Big Big Love (Fig. 2),” and “Hummer” strike that aforementioned happy medium and will get many listens from many folks. The rest of the disc, we’re not so sure.

Band Site MySpace

The Rationales - The Going and the Gone

What we've got here is the debut EP from a new Boston-based band. You can read the bio and learn that they like the Stones and Wilco and bands like that... but who doesn't? Regardless of those influences, there is something going on that is oddly a bit retro, yet very modern, happening at the same time. Right from the opening notes there is a "fullness" that is felt throughout the disc. Not a wall of sound, per se, but a lush production that serves these tracks very well.

The disc has bits of pop with "No Guarantees" and "Far Away," Americana in the way of "Cliche" and "On the Vine," and a bit of atmospheric rock on "Guardrail." Despite those various genres and/or sub-genres, it's the quality of the songs that holds it all together. Strong melodies and harmonies are consistent from track-to-track and do no disappoint.

The Going and the Gone is certainly a bold effort, and a large first step for a young band.

Band Site MySpace

New Releases: May 27, 2008

It's Memorial Day... just a few releases this week.

THE FUTUREHEADS: This Is Not The World
Let's hope that they replicate the energy from amazing debut.

THE RATIONALES: The Going and the Gone
Debut EP packed with roots, pop, and Americana goodness

THE SMITHEREENS: Live In Concert Greatest Hits And More
I think I remember what their popular tune was....