The Band is Named Western:
The West has always been the place where dreams come true, the place where Americans go to build a utopia or escape constraint; in the U.S., the West has always meant hope. The semi-religious crusade of Manifest Destiny te [+]The Band is Named Western:
The West has always been the place where dreams come true, the place where Americans go to build a utopia or escape constraint; in the U.S., the West has always meant hope. The semi-religious crusade of Manifest Destiny terminates at the coast of the Pacific, but still persists through the grand
narcissism of Hollywood. For hundreds of years people migrated west in an attempt to act out their fantasies of personal freedom. From cowboys to showgirls, we are all victims of that idealism, and California is full of stories, escapist ethics, and ill-conceived decisions. Western is a band from California.
Songwriting as a Hot-Air Balloon Ride:
Aaron Taylor Harvey plots a course across chords and vocal landscapes at home with his dad's old acoustic. There, the songs are blueprints; during practice, they take flight. With a path laid before it, Western unties its hot-air balloon and floats perilously through a sonic storm, looking to land in a place that remains hidden 'til Journey's end. Frankie Palmer plays lead guitar from the Edge of this Zeppelin, piloting an ensemble that tries its best to keep up with a man who bends space through the pick-ups of a Gibson Explorer. Brothers Trevor and David Rager are the engine of this rock and roll airship. Trevor plays drums (with the Moon as his spine), giving off a kind of energetic sophistication that would seem almost European were it not
so badass in that American way. Meanwhile, David's bass slinks along in solid time, maintaining structural integrity lest all else slips away.
Together, suspended in this precarious state, it seems possible that Western may lead the baloon astray, taking it well beyond their carefully planned route. Or the rest of the band may actually follow his map with clairvoyant
speed and precision. Either way, the songs always seem to land in exactly the right place.
The Album is Called A Year of Sincere:
Aaron recorded and mixed this record in a one-room practice space that doubled as his home. The basics were laid down with a few thousand dollars of borrowed Guitar Center equipment in about a week; they were done almost entirely live. A Year of Sincere is meant to be experienced in its entirety, and is not unevenly weighted in favor of those with short
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