The Morning Benders - Big Echo

In der Freelance Whales-Vorstellung habe ich sie ja schon erwähnt: The Morning Benders aus Berkley / Kalifornien sind Christopher Chu (vocals, guitar), Jonathan Chu (guitar, keyboards), Timothy Or (bass) und Julian Harmon (drums). Nach diversen EPs und kostenlosen Downloads erschien 2008 das erste Album ‚Talking Through Tin Cans’ auf +1 Records. Im März diesen Jahres erblickte ‚Big Echo’ bei Rough Trade US das Licht der Welt.

The title to the Benders' sophomore effort and Rough Trade debut, Big Echo, appropriately evokes their sonic shift in the past two years. The album is a homecoming of sorts, as it finds the Morning Benders correcting their PacNW indie pop identity crisis in favor of a more coastal, kaleidoscopic California haze. It also finds them embracing the cavernous experimental rock sound of Grizzly Bear, whose Chris Taylor shares a co-production credit with Benders singer/guitarist Christopher Chu. […] Giving too much credit to Taylor's influence and direction, however, undermines the Morning Benders' stylistic transition, one any band would envy and many listeners will love. Many bands spend entire careers trying (and failing) to even nail down the one thing they're good at. The Morning Benders have already found a handful. Here's hoping they continue down the path illustrated on Big Echo's gorgeous oil-painted album cover: into the unsure seas, and away from the relative safety of stable terrain. (pitchfork.com)

The Big Echo makes me want to become a better reviewer of music. The Morning Benders shine a bright light on my shortcomings as I struggle for words to describe the brilliance of Big Echo. […] The standout tracks for me include […] Excuses, Cold War (Nice Clean Fight) and Stitches. The piano on Stitches dances right up my spine as the Grizzly Bear influenced harmonies lull me into a state of bliss before the piano gives way to shimmery guitars as the song fades out. It was just so fucking brilliant that there is no way my words can do it justice. (hearya.com)

Video: ‚Excuses’ (Yours Truly Session)



Als CD und Vinyl erhältlich.

Homepage
MySpace
facebook