retrospectacular

People tend to only think of the positive in retrospect. The Morning Benders do just that musically with their newest alum Big Echo, pulling the best elements from retro pop and reviving them for our young, modern generation.

The album starts with a perfect single, “Excuses,” that hits listeners hard with the sweetest of musical phrasing. Lead vocal Chris Chu sings with a school-boy-ish charm which pairs ever so delightedly with track’s arrangement of tambourine and guitar strumming.

“Excuses” already has a video, a more-or-less Californian sing-a-long said, by Chu himself, to be modeled off Phil Spector’s “wall of sound” recording theory.

Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders “Excuses” from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

The Morning Benders are bound to blow up, if not for the sheer pop bliss that this record is but, because they hang with uber-talented indie acts. (Did you catch Chris of Girls in the video?)

Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor helped out with Big Echo; and it shows. Tracks like “Hand Me Downs” and “All Day Daylight” have Grizzly Bear’s signature play between drums’ big toms and effects-heavy gutiar. Big Echo is by no means a rip-off Veckatimest. It’s only easier to notice influence and draw comparison once aware of Taylor’s help with the project.

The rest of the album doesn’t quite hit the pop chord with such fervor as heard in “Excuses,” but that almost comes as a relief. These tracks vary in pace, attack and arrangement, while still managing to keep ears happy.

Go see The Morning Benders with Miniature Tiger and Acrylics (signed to Terrible Records, aka Taylor’s new record label) at the Black Cat’s backstage March 11. I’ll be there.

For fans of: beach house, grizzly bear, dr. dog

Random thought: I swear The Morning Benders and Beach used the same chord progression in “Stitches”. Does anyone agree? Can anyone verify? I can’t put my finger on which Beach House song it is, but it’s on Teen Dream.