Miranda Sound - Western Reserve (c) 2006 Sunken Treasure Records
Artist....: Miranda Sound
Album.....: Western Reserve
Type......: Album
Source....: CDDA
Tracks....: 12
Genre.....: Indie
Label.....: Sunken Treasure Records
Catalogue#: STR002
Encoder...: LAME 3.97
Quality...: VBR kbps / 44.1KHz / Joint-Stereo
URL.......: http://www.mirandasound.com/
Tracklist:
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01 Jackson Milton 02:45
02 Close Calls 03:22
03 The Lull Of Youngstown 03:37
04 My Surname's An Airplane 03:25
05 Take It Where You Can Get It 03:09
06 Calculator For Words 04:00
07 Control 02:21
08 We're Making Amends 02:22
09 To Partner & President 03:11
10 The World Is Not A Stage 03:09
11 Workbook Light & Power 01:13
12 Death Of The Party 03:48
Total:55,1 MB / 36:22 min
Release Notes:
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Unmatchable pop hooks, compelling lyrics, pristine production, glorious
harmonies.
"Western Reserve" finds Miranda Sound fulfilling its considerable
potential amid the white noise of so many other post-punk poseurs." -
Denver Post
Being unique in a field of pretenders is certainly an accomplishment,
and testimony to the fact that Billy Peake (voc/guitar), Dan Gerken
(voc/guitar/cello/keys), Sean Sefcik (bass/keys), and Dan Bell (drums)
have forged their own distinct sound. But it's a curse because you,
dear writers, can't conscionably attest that "This Columbus, Ohio
four-piece sounds like [insert current indie darling here]" and be done
with it. You're just going to have to give Western Reserve repeated
listens. (Don't worry: you'll want to anyway.)
Western Reserve is Miranda Sound's third full-length since 2001. The
band's albums have continuously met with favorable reviews, and their
dedication to using every non-working, non-school-attending moment to
hop in a van and play shows throughout the Midwest has earned them a
respectable following in cities from Chicago to Boston.
However, minor success hasn't come without some setbacks and freak
accidents. They were hampered by the departure of their original
drummer during the height of Engaged in Labor. They were also slowed
down when their touring van was smashed by a tree during an electrical
storm. The biggest setback, a car-on-bike accident involving
multi-instrumentalist Dan Gerken during the summer of 2003, wound up
providing the band with new breath and new inspiration. The accident is
documented in the song "Close Calls." With the rare distinction of
having co-lead vocalists, Miranda Sound is often able to tell a story
from two different points of view; "Close Calls" is one of those songs.
Peake recalls, through his lyrics, the accident which nearly cost his
bandmate his life: "Dan destroyed an Oldsmobile/ with his forehead/ His
bike's crushed, his head's a crimson mess/ When he wakes up he will
guess/ how he got there." Gerken recollects in first-person: "You
should have seen me when they strapped me in/ Blood in my hair, with
beet-red irises."
To document these poignant moments on Western Reserve, Miranda Sound
enlisted the talents of J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines,
Government Issue) who has previously lent production talent to the
likes of The Promise Ring, Clutch, The Dismemberment Plan, and Shiner.
The band met Robbins at Workbook Studio in Columbus during summer 2005
to start recording, with engineering help from Neal Schmitt and Jon
Chinn (The Sun, New Bomb Turks). Robbins' influence both as a producer
and musician can he heard on such standout tracks as Western Reserve's
opener "Jackson Milton," "The Lull of Youngstown" and "Control," which
features Gerken on cello. As much as Robbins played an integral part in
the final output, the band retains its own clear sound throughout the
dozen tracks. In all, Western Reserve is as honest and real as it gets.
It's a true, thoughtful, yet accessible record with dark and memorable
riffs, appealing melodies, and lyrics that accurately but obliquely
reflect what it's like to realize that you're an adult.