Bandcamp, among other sites like it, provides independent artists a channel to distribute their own music, free of charge. Once the barrier of a formal label is removed, the volume of content grows exponentially, and deep within the piles of additions there are gems to be found. Over the past few years, I have stumbled into excellent music of various styles via Bandcamp. The latest beneficiary of this DIY model is the Chicago quintet The Walters, and their spectacular debut EP from November, Songs For Dads.
The pop style of these five young men borrows from both the harmonized sounds of the 1960s and successful independent acts of recent years. Songs For Dads plays a bit like the Beach Boys attempted by kids who grew up on the Morning Benders. Two members of the group, Luke Olson and Michael James Tirabassi, each have a voice that can carry a song on its own, an advantage that manifests the album's gorgeous harmonies. Olson, who helms the single "I Love You So", has a softer delivery, fitting for the light mood of the four tracks on which he takes the lead. His voice is timid as the nervous romantic dressed for a date on "Fancy Shoes", easy to imagine with his hands clasped behind his back, anxiously rocking his weight from heel to toe. The Walters' music suits their youth, while also showing off some wisdom and experience with an unexpected and well timed use of trumpet to compliment the song's quiet boyishness.
The deputy vocalist, on the other hand, carries in his voice a cool confidence. Tirabassi's two tracks on Songs, "New Girl (Tom's Song)" and "What's Left", find him delivering bad news that he is happy to finally deliver. The songwriting is authentic in its insincere sadness, with both songs epitomizing the demise of young love from the perspective of the unburdened person choosing to end it. "New Girl" struts more than any track on the record, a not-really-sorry apology for having moved on to newer and greener pastures.
Independent artists and indie music are not always synonymous. In a musical environment where words like pop and rock are no longer nearly specific enough, the Walters' tunes were written with just enough quirk to intentionally file under indie. For better or worse, self identification as indie often requires a matching aesthetic; a young, handsome, charismatic front man wearing suspenders on stage gives off a slightly calculated taste.
Luckily for The Walters, and for us Bandcamp needle hunters, their music stands on its own. Good not just as indie pop, but as excellent, well crafted, and layered pop music.
