Last day of school. The kids were excited this morning. So, when I heard what was coming out of my mouth as I was down on my hands an knees wiping up the awful smelling Szechuan stir-fry sauce -- Why do we even have this? -- that CoolDaughter #2 had sent crashing to the floor as she got her granola bar down from the shelf, I didn't feel like "World's Greatest Dad."
It happens. Maybe, for a little bit, you curse the fact that you had all these big plans; but now you're the guy wiping Szechuan stir-fry sauce off the floor at 7AM. And, no matter how hard you try, you won't get it all. You just know it. There will always be some little molecule of it that the ants will find, and...
It's the kind of stuff that doesn't really interest all these twenty-something (something-teen, even) bands I love listening to. That's fine. They've still got time. That's why it's nice sometimes, though, to come across something that speaks directly to my current set of experiences. Essex County quartet Tri-State do that on their 2013 self-titled debut.
Bathed in late-80s, REM- or Feelies-style guitar jangle, the songs on Tri-State -- with titles like "All Different," "Mudlin' Thru," and "Back Before" -- are all reflections on how our past brings us to our present, and how, maybe, our present isn't everything we've ever wanted.
There are plenty of lyrics about regret like, "I was strummin' along / tryin' to write a song / my eyes on my hands / So much for my plans" on "All Different." But there's also a sense of resigned contentment on a song like "Muddlin' Thru," which, after listing some of the not-so-wonderful ways that parenthood changes us, marvels at children's "golden brains" and "shimmer souls." "Country Squire" uses an old Ford station wagon as a metaphor to illustrate that life doesn't just happen to us. Instead, where we end up is a product of our own actions and choices.
While Tri-State deals pretty heavily with themes of aging, regret, and the passage of time; it's a surprisingly upbeat record musically. The guitars, alternating between jangly leads and crunchy chords, and the interesting rhythms give things an indie / power pop feel that pushes the record into something uplifting rather than mopey and outside the realm of the dreaded "Dad Rock."
I apologized profusely to CD2 as she got out of the car for her last day of school today. I think she accepted, and I hope she has fun. Now, I've just got to figure out how to get rid of this smell.
Tri-State is out now and available from Tri-State's Bandcamp page.
No comments :
Post a Comment