The Morning Benders

Red Tunic Troll

posted on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 10:03:58

Power pop buzz band earns its buzz

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. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2008 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]