Signals Midwest
Light on the Lake
Tiny Engines
Signals Midwest = Braid + Sunny Day Real Estate + Title Fight
Street: 10.29.13
Signals Midwest are doing something right. I listened to this album on repeat for nearly a week, and now, a few weeks later, I find myself humming certain songs and putting them on repeat (“In the Pauses” and “Caricature”). What makes this album so great is the balance: It is catchy as hell, but that doesn’t detract from its complexity and lyrical qualities. Stern sounds like an emulsion of Chris Carrabba and Isaac Brock, but mostly Brock. Their lyrics (“The landmarks that I thought I knew so well used to feel like an / extension of myself”) are confessional without sounding like tween strip-mall romance. I wouldn’t be surprised if bands like Signals Midwest, The Front Bottoms and other emo-revivalists start getting serious radio play in two years or so. Their mathy rhythms, straightforward guitar work and harmony-laden vocals are just screaming radio potential. I think it would be a breath of fresh air from this trite EDM/The Police bullshit. –Alex Cragun