Songs Of The Week #48

Treetop Flyers, Smith Westerns, & Standish/Carlyon...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies! Welcome to Songs Of The Week #48!

For those of you who remain unfamiliar with the SOTW column, here's the scoop: TCDroogsma has been a devoted follower of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast since its inception back in 2007. He's also opinionated and owns a laptop. Seeing an opportunity to put him to work (while also allowing him to indulge his addiction for new songs), we asked him to review each week's batch of new tracks. Forty eight weeks later and here we are.

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To that end, once you given each of the songs a listen, please cast a vote for your favorite in the poll on the right side of the page. The artist with the most votes at closing time receives the validation that comes with winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest goal a modern musician can achieve.

So, Droogsy... thoughts?

01. Treetop Flyers – Things Will Change (from the album Mountain Moves)

TCDroogsma:

     Well, well, well... what a little treat "Things Will Change" turned out to be.  Every time I think that I'm over jangly-breezy-indie rock somebody like Treetop Flyers shows up (with their debut no less) and reminds me why I fell for this type of stuff in the first place.

     
      Honestly, "Things Will Change" doesn't so much harken back my teens as it does to my childhood when my dad had a tape containing both "Ventura Highway" and "Horse With No Name" that we would listen to with the top down in his Volkswagen Rabbit.  Treetop Flyers may have been aiming for this "America" (the band, not the awesome country) sound or maybe it's just a coincidence, but I'm inclined to believe the former (especially considering they took their name from a Stephen Stills song).  For that they deserve credit, as almost no band in the history of music has been as uncool as America.

     "Things Will Change" traffics the country-folk vibe that was emanating from post-Summer-Of-Love California and pulls it off with authenticity, which is no small feat considering they're a group of 20-somethings from London.  "Things Will Change" is rich in harmonies, hooks, and the kind of sunny guitar line that calls to mind an idealized California that perhaps only exists in the minds of people who have never been there.  Definitely a summer treat.

Final Score: 4/5

02. Smith Westerns – Varsity (from the album Soft Will)

TCDroogsma:

     Smith Westerns had their coming out party back in 2011 with their album Dye It Blonde.  On that album the Chicago band shone brightly with a mix of hooks, idealism, and just enough left turns to keep the listener interested.

    
     With that previous success in mind, it's always interesting to see if bands can live up to their newly-attained status as something worth following.  If "Varsity" is any indication Smith Westerns are going to be a going concerned for quite some time.

     "Varsity" comes on with a swirly syth/bouncy bass combo that aims straight for the pleasure center of my brain.  Just in case that doesn't grab your interest singer Connor Omori comes on cooing, "Ya thought I was a loner until I went out on my own..." with the confidence of a man who's more than willing to step into the spotlight.  When the chorus bursts through, with all the jangling guitar, hooks, and harmonies you'd expect from a Chicago band trying to sound like a British one, it's clear that now that Smith Westerns are standing firmly in the spotlight they've little intention of leaving any time soon.

Final Score: 4/5

03. Standish/Carlyon – Gucci Mountain (from the album Deleted Scenes)

TCDroogsma:

     What the hell is going on, Australia?  Back in May it was that brutal Alpine song and now I'm tasked with reviewing this?  You used to be cool, Australia.

    
    Standish/Carlyon is a side-project of Devastations Conrad Standish & Tom Carlyon and sounds every bit the part.  Over some vague blips and pointless atmospheric swirls Standish turns up the falsetto and aims for full on Casanova mode.  He comes off sounding a lot like you're younger brother trying to tell you about The Weeknd by singing one of their songs (which would be adorable).  Unfortunately, Standish isn't your adorable little brother, but rather an aging Aussie hipster with a mustache that may or may not be ironic.  Frankly, I doubt even he knows at this point.

     It's really a shame to waste a song title as great as "Gucci Mountain" on a song as bad as this.  Sadly, there's just nothing redeeming about this genre exercise.  If it's a joke it's not funny and if it's an honest attempt a spaced-out PBR & B it fails miserably.  Given the title and mustache, I'm leaning toward unfunny joke.

Final Score: 0/5

Well there you have it, folks! Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, and filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor any of our contributors is in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR. We're just music fans with laptops and bit too much time on our hands.

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