Local Review: Golden Plates – From the Bottom of the Great Salt Lake

Golden Plates
From the Bottom of the Great Salt Lake  

Congregation Records
Street: 05.29
Golden Plates = Death Cab for Cutie x Current Joys  x Hurricane Bells 

It’s not often that a local band’s description is succinct, all-encompassing and fitting. But, in the case of Golden Plates, they are indeed an “indie rock n’roll religious experience,” as their website states. Brycen Deters, or if you refer to him in the same satirical fashion as his band name does, Elder Brycen, has a bit of a knack for reinvention. 

His newest EP From the Bottom of the Great Salt Lake is a classic alternative experience. It’s honest, and the lyrics are unapologetically in your face, but where this EP differs from previous Golden Plates’ albums is the subtlety. While Deters’ satirical commentary on Mormonism is enjoyable, and incorporated effortlessly into what can be dubbed as a “religious music experience,” what I really loved about this EP is the immersive, electric euphoria he puts listeners in. Aside from the slight genre shift though, the three songs pulse with raw electric guitar, swoon-worthy background music and the best of all: The music and production don’t overshadow Deter’s raspy vocals. 

While it’s not a complete step away from his previous work, with lyrics like, “Are you in control or being taken for a ride” and “You tell yourself it’ll be alright,” this EP shows Deters’ widening repertoire. “Fight Night” is my personal favorite from the EP, because it instantly transports you to an indie live show, something which everyone is missing. From the Bottom of the Great Salt Lake has the marking of all great alternative music—the ability to step outside your own world or redefine it with an entirely different vocabulary. The title track follows this example exactly, personifying the Great Salt Lake in a way Utahns can both connect to and take insight from. 

From the Bottom of the Great Salt Lake is an alternative indie dream fit for movie soundtracks, if Deters is willing to take that leap. Golden Plates has a unique style, but this EP proves this style is growing and for the better. –Palak Jayswal