Rory Strong (vocals/guitar), Simi Kunin (guitar), Quinn Farwell (drums) and Carver Arena (bass) are Rory Strong and the Standard Candles. They recently released Separation is Natural.
This is an album that sort of brought me back to my mid 20’s. It’s a little hard to pinpoint but a lot of it came from the aesthetics of bands I was listening to at the time. That and also something about the dynamic emotional quality of Strong’s vocals which reminded me of Conor Oberst and Titus Andronicus. The songs are visceral, immediate and cathartic. “Julie's New Windowpane” starts with strummed guitar and an expressive vocal performance. It’s nuanced, story-like and when the band came in I was full on board. “Wet Dog” is up next and this is a great song. It’s a great groove, sort of loose and danceable at the same time. Strong feels a little more playful with his vocal performance at first. “My Boy” is a fun song with a classic indie rock type of feel. Up next is “Someone Else's Eden” and this is the arguable highlight. This song felt emotionally resonant and sort of hit me at my core. There is a section around the three-minute mark when the cello comes in. I absolutely loved it and it was my favorite moment on the album. The energy gets picked back up with “Steamroller” and really picked up by the less than a minute “Down the Canal.” They hit all the right emotional frequencies like reflection and melancholia on “Song for O+J.” This is a great indie rock album. It’a cohesive and sounds best being played from beginning to end. Take a listen.
1 Comment
Janmarie
7/19/2021 11:51:34 pm
Fabulous
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