Salinas (2020)
I'm pretty sure that when it comes to records I've been sent this year, when the album in question is by a band I had not heard of before, this Quaker Wedding album is the best one I have listened to in 2020. When this came in the mail, I was intrigued by the artwork and wanted it to be good. Once the opening chords of "Sinking Ship" blasted out of my speakers, I knew this record was going to be a keeper.
When I listen to this album, I can hear echoes of other bands that I like. There is an Off With Their Heads/Dear Landlord quality in the vocals. And of course the great grandaddy touchstone certainly sounds like Jawbreaker to me, but none of these comparisons really do Quaker Wedding justice. They're not a No Idea sound alike band and to me the most obvious difference between Quaker Wedding and the bands I just compared them to is how much of the album is built on slower and more mid tempo songs. Sure, there are a few fast paced rockers, but where the album really excels is when the band is taking their tame and building their sound.
I'm uncertain if it was written this way on purpose, but sitting here six months into a pandemic that has kept me from seeing friends and living a normal life, I can really latch on to the themes of isolation and melancholy that are prevalent on the record. But what really grabs me is how these feelings aren't the defining characteristic of the album. While they are there, to me the end result is much more uplifting and hopeful. This is a band worth checking out.
Quaker Wedding - In Transit:
https://quakerwedding.bandcamp.com/album/in-transit-2
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