walking relic - sojourn

Walking Relic

Sojourn
self-released; 2013

3.9 out of 5

By Ethan Skeleton

Walking Relic hails from Noble, Oklahoma and formed just over five years ago. The group is close knit and has relationships beyond just music. Vocalist Jessie Jennings and guitarist Chris Schat are engaged and the drummer Derek Mehl and Chris Schat are brothers-in-law. It’s this bond they share that really comes through in their sound especially live. They currently are acing their four-state tour cycle of Texas, Arizona, Missouri, and of course, their home state.

The first track on Sojourn, “Every Little Thing,” is operatic and driving like the forces of Muse with pure vocals like God Help The Girl. It's sweetly pure and innocent despite lyrical content. Right away, you can really hear that the mix is locked in and very present. The same goes for the following tracks. “Burn” has chugging piano and a sweeping balance of highs and lows between electronics and the guitar line. As the drums roll along they’re accented with tambourine tagged with solid reverb attack. The chorus is a floor stomper, possibly the most stomping of the three tracks on the EP. It has all the trimmings as well, equipped with piano glissandos and textural keyboard swells.

 “Galaxy Quest” uses effected vocals as an intro and has a touch of Lorde to it, but then things bend up into a more B-52’s vibe; I’m picturing a cool blue basement rager when I listen to this. It holds true to the prior tracks’ danceability and catchy choruses, which goes to show, Walking Relic understands that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

Sojourn is meant for a compact experience, but that’s not to say that extensive thought and process didn’t go into every note of the EP. There have been around three versions of every song on the album, and each track was carefully crafted to produce the best sounding and fitting elements. The writing process was varied giving everyone their moment to contribute hence enriching the songs with multiple viewpoints, ideas, and melodic ideas. Teamwork is key for Walking Relic and will be their saving grace when push comes to shove. But I have a feeling they can handle whatever life throws their way.

Become A Fan

twitter