If the Shoe Fits

It is my pleasure to introduce most, if not all of you, to Weaver At the Loom.  

My only intimate knowledge of Minnesota or, for that matter, the Twin Cities, is that I sadly and nerdily know the state bird (ironically, "The Loon.").  Maybe an inspiration for the band's name? I bet "Weaver at the large bird" did not have the same ring, but I'm no artist.  So, although Minnesota is not known as an incubator for a burgeoning music scene, I found myself attracted to the non-LA/NY/Austin/Chicago rockers.  

WATL's new EP, "I Was Searching and I Found," offers a haunting and beautiful 5-song soundtrack for those wandering aimlessly in a downtown coffee shop or simply trying to fall asleep after taking one of those 5 hour energy drinks (edit: they really, really, really do work. And, FYI, nothing is fun at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday morning. NOTHING.)

Maybe the non-sensical nature of WATL's songwriting brings me to a place where I think I have some sort of sophisticated ear for these type of things. It is reminiscent of something uniquely Lydia. In fact, there are times where the lyrics (e.g., identifying "toxins" as a villain in the EP), travel from song to song. After listening to the EP a couple of times, the thematic nature of the album not only musically, but lyrically, makes you respect WATL all that much more.

There are times where you pine for a chorus (where is my A/B/A/B rhyming scheme?!), only to be brought into some ambient-piano driven breakdown where, in the EP's opener, the upbeat and optimistically titled "Buck Up, They're Coming", the listener is reminded ". . . I'm afraid/And longing to be brave..."  My courageousness, as it were, is not misguided. The next four tracks are truly a little choose your own adventure, where these four musicians - and they are truly students of music - lead the listener through their own take on emotional, ambient rock - reaching it's climax in a 6 minute instrumental-driven "But You Can Enjoy Life Before and After." 

Although the 5 tracks seem to be, pardon the usage, woven together in a perfect fashion, I am excited to see what a full length has to hold for these boys.  I hope they are able to push through this EP and into the 4th quarter with such veracity as they had at the outset of the game. Truthfully, I can imagine it being extremely difficult to piece 11 or so songs together to flow as well as the EP does. Good luck gents.  

A favorite track, "Without Fear of Their Return," ends the EP on a positive tone and comporting with the theme set out by the EP's opener, an unknown female vocalist provides backing to bookend the EP by crooning "Oh I've got what I wanted/and I'll be afraid no more."  If anything, my only critique is that the songs all have a similar undertone. Some variety may be on it's way in the full-length, but hopefully no synthesizers (See last entry).  

Bottom line: For lovers of Lydia and Alive in Wild Paint, this is a welcome treat. I would advise not listening to it on a rainy day. Find something more... poppy. I hear Lady Ga-Ga has a new single out.  I say you go for that. 

By the way, if you get the reference in the title to this little blog - you win a gold star.