Chandler Travis Three-O
This is What Bears Look Like Underwater
Iddy Biddy
Street: 10.23.12
Chandler Travis Three-O = Bob Schneider + America
Intermittently instrumental, in my opinion, is always a benefit when an album features more than five instruments. Compared to Chandler Travis’ concurrent venture with Catbirds, This is What Bears Look Like Underwater comes off a lot less forced. Heavy on the clarinet, the Three-O’s premiere record is velvety, soothing and honeyed. Guitars often bend and melt into light percussion. “Zoe” sounds like the smooth but often unpredictable flight path of a lark. In a few numbers, the vocals sound slightly contrived, but songs that sound organic, like “January,” make up for the shortcoming. Vocal harmonies range from folky to barbershop-y and provide auxiliary charm to this creative venture. Simple yet pronounced bass lines round out every number. I danced through Lindsey Gardens like an awkward jaguarundi (awesome band name!) in an anti-gravity chamber, and would do it again. These swaggarific senior citizens make me want to freak out.