Album Review: Good Night, States' In the Impossible Tension

If it weren't for an omnipresent drum machine and that pesky comma in their name, this EP would be damn near perfect. With that in mind, it's still not far off.

Here's the tracklist:

1. Arsonist's Blues
2. Good Times, So Wearily Desired!
3. River In The Dry
4. Moonlight
5. All On Your Own
6. Neighborhood Roofs

Every song comes equipped with a great melody, and at least five of the six have found themselves stuck in my head over the few weeks I've been listening to it (sorry, "All On Your Own"). Oddly, the album was recorded by only two of the band's five members--Steve Gretz and Joe Tanner--but such is life when your band is split among three cities, as theirs is.

This record is a departure, to be sure. Don't expect to rock out. The album title seems fitting, as even after having listened to the record several times through I still expect tracks 1 and 6 to open up to a flood of distorted guitars. They don't. Yet they're no worse for not giving into my petty desires.

From the top, "Arsonist's Blues" is a great song to start it off and set the tone for the rest of record. Leaning on the vintage keyboards expected of GN,S, Gretz and Tanner manage to maintain their trademark sound without overdoing it on the synth tones. The second track has to be the catchiest, and already has me nostalgic for the summer that's still here. Then the synths fade to welcome some crisp acoustic guitar work that brings a woodsy air of reminiscence to my favorite of the bunch, "River In The Dry."

While the songs are stripped down, they don't feel spare. There's a warmth here that gives the sense of fullness, and a restraint that leaves room for these songs to grow live. Perhaps the fullest on the record is the closer, "Neighborhood Roofs," and it's also one of the strongest.

Obviously the backstory of the writing and recording of this album begs curiosities about how these tunes will translate to the stage, but Hugh assures us they'll do just fine. Here's where you can hear them:

Tonight: Thunderbird Cafe

Tomorrow: Carnegie Arts and Heritage Festival

Next Tuesday: Brillobox

Monday, Sept. 21: William Pitt Student Union

Courtesy of the Trib, here's a video of the full band doing "Arsonist's Blues" which bodes very well for the upcoming shows and the growth of this great band. The vocals are sweet, and that small touch of natural percussion is enough to make me forget about the drum machine in the background.

SITKOT rating: 46 out of 57