Une Petite Soirée

Picture yourself at with a small group of friends (maybe to celebrate a birthday because everyone is slightly dressed up) in a studio apartment high enough that you can see the skyline of the nearby downtown. You remain far enough away from the city that you aren't consumed in it, but at the same time, it's powerful presence in the night sky does not allow you to forget that it is relatively close. It's as if the city is the corporate managers checking up on a regional branch of the company. At this petite soirée, what music is in the background? Big Echo by the Morning Benders. This album has a few fast, catchy tunes like "Cold War" and "All Day Day Light", but for the most part, remains an album to be loved after a few listens. It has an ambient feel in most of the songs, which attributes to the urban feel needed for a petite soiree outside of the heart of the city, but it can be slow at times. So it's not quite an album for downtown Friday nights. However, this does not imply that the album is lacking in any way. The reality is quite the contrary. They are not afraid to take a step back and slow everything down and just play with some ambient sounds and downplayed vocals for part or all of a song like in "Mason Jar,""Pleasure Sighs,""Oh Annie,"and "Wet Cement."This creates a very chilled out laid back vibe that can be great background music (it's conducive to conversations, yet can also be enjoyed by those just having a drink by themselves). My favorite songs on the album all have a different feel. My first favorite was "Cold War,"which is an upbeat song that begs to be played twice in a row due to it being half as long as the rest of the songs. The second,"Promises," has a raw guitar sound akin to the Black Keys that feels empowering and palpable. The last favorite is their true hit off the album, "Excuses." This song has great lyrics and vocals, but moreover, it progresses and evolves slightly over its duration and plays with multiple orchestral sounds and instruments. Side note-The Japan Echo EP is a remix of some of Big Echo and is amazing. "Cold War (Star Slinger Remix)" is by far my favorite. Check it out. 

Excuses (Yours Truly version)- ranked 12 on Gorilla vs Bear's songs of 2010