Listen to this Music: The Morning Benders- Big Echo

The Morning Benders- Big Echo: A Review: 8/10

I’ve been listening to this album for a little while now, and I’ve been having trouble trying to place who it sounds like. I did a quick Google search and found that it was produced by Grizzly Bear bassist Chris Taylor. Then it all fell into place. The Morning Bender’s sophomore album is a great synergy of Grizzly Bear’s twangy guitar, The Shins’ pop melodies and The Dodo’s steady beat. Add all that up and you have a certifiable indie record. However, to say that Big Echo doesn’t bring anything new to the mix would be wrong. The album gives you something new on every track and its eclectic sound does not fail to impress.

The first ten seconds of the album are so reminiscent of Grizzly Bear it’s uncanny. The dreamy guitar and flickering piano over a distant drum beat is a distinct characteristic of many a Grizzly Bear song. However, the impression doesn’t last long as the first track “Excuses” evolves into a coherent pop song complete with a string section and overlapping vocal tracks. Big Echo doesn’t take long to show off its flexibility, the album continues with the groovy “Promises” with bass and guitar riffs that will have you dancing. From there the album meanders through upbeat ditties like “Cold War (Nice Clean Fight” and “All Day Delight” and sullen depth tracks like “Pleasure Signs” and “Mason Jar.”

Vocalist Chris Chu ties the album together with background melodies over lyrics like “I put no one else above us … We'll still be best friends when all turns to dust.” These simple lyrics exemplify The Morning Benders who remain somewhat transparent despite a great deal of oddities and excellent production value. Big Echo is an album that, due to its varied nature, will grow on you with every listen. Songs like “Stitches” that might not have caught your attention on first listen will emerge as some of your favorites. The album is definitely influenced by the Grizzly Bear production as will be apparent almost immediately, but it transcends the boundaries of their chamber pop contemporaries by delving into a more accessible sound. Listen to this music.

You can stream the whole album from their website located here