Artist: Spirit Club
Album: Self Titled
In 2015 a trio consisting of Wavves’ frontman Nathan Williams, his brother Joel Williams and Andrew Caddick (Jeans Wilder) formed a new project called Spirit Club. Up until this point I was a fan of each individual’s work so I was buzzin’ and curious to hear what this LP would bring. What they created is a lo-fi, dirty yet ethereal surf-pop flavoured album which is what I’m going to briefly talk about right now…
Firstly it was the sweet soaring beach boys-esque harmonies and that caught my attention, this blended in with the melancholic and thought provoking lyrics created a juxtaposition which my ears were diggin’! What appeals to me even more is that the vocals aren’t necessarily 100% pitch perfect but they are human and sound great all the same. This inspired me as a musician/writer to be more ambitious with vocals & harmonies and got me thinking in a different way. The lyrics are brave and forward in places whilst still being sensitive and meaningful. Themes of love, heartbreak, loneliness, elation and clarity run throughout and are bound to resonate with the listener on some level.
Instrumentally it’s a big ol’ mix up of guitars, keys, bass, drums and percussion with some being sampled and others recorded live, the marriage of the two gives the LP a real individual sound. The dirty, effects driven guitars combined with chime-y keys and almost ethereal vocals all add to the Spirit Club melting pot. Each song is a musical landscape of it’s own, some full of space, open and vast keeping the focus on the vocals (e.g. “Duster”, “Sling”) whilst there are chaotic, interesting and purely instrumental moments too (E.g. “Ripped” and “Bless This mess” solo). This album isn’t a sonic masterpiece however the DIY home-recording is what add’s to the lo-fi feel and unique sounds on the album.
This LP got pick of the week based on a lot of reasons, a few of which I have already stated. However more than anything I know from how much I have gone back and listened to this album over and over that it’s definitely worth trying to get others to experience it too! If you’re into honest lyrics, and interesting songwriting with different sounds and musical ideas then give this a good seeing to.
PEACE