HIGH BIAS -- lead review

BEULAH
The Coast is Never Clear
(Velocette)
THE WITCH HAZEL SOUND
This World, Then the Fireworks...
(Hidden Agenda)
Several years ago stuffy industry rag Billboard tried to give a name to a rising mini-movement in indie rock. Artists like Eric Matthews, the Pernice Brothers and the Elephant 6 collective were playing a music called, according to the would-be trendsetters at Billboard, "orch-pop." What the magazine was trying to describe was a new strain of underground pop music that favored sweet, sunny melodies and carefully crafted, often lush arrangements over punk immediacy and avant-garde skronk. Sometimes an actual orchestra was involved, but not always. It was the attention to detail that set these bands apart: whether it was a glockenspiel, Moog synthesizer or a full string section, the musicians wouldn't hesitate to use whatever effect was necessary to increase the pleasure of their nice melodies and charming songs. Brian Wilson, Phil Spector and Jimmy Webb, not to mention late-period Beatles, were bigger influences on these folk than the Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth. The movement never quite reached the commercial prevalence Billboard predicted—maybe because nobody wanted to take a chance on something called "orch-pop"—but the best of its practitioners remain on the scene. In the case of San Francisco's Beulah and Kent, Ohio's Witch Hazel Sound, these artists are hitting their peaks.

Beulah's third album The Coast is Never Clear finds the septet leaving its lo-fi Elephant 6 roots behind for a clean, crisp sound and immediately catchy tuneage. There's no indie rock carelessness here—bandleader/head writer Miles Kurosky obviously takes his songcraft seriously. The arrangements have an open, airy feel, no matter how many instruments threaten to clutter up the mix. Trumpets, vibraphones, steel guitars, strings and more join the guitars, keys and rhythm section (which includes a prominent tambourine). "A Good Man is Easy to Kill," a quirky tribute to Kurosky's father, doubles its indelible hook with fuzz guitar and flute; "I'll Be Your Lampshade" finds its loping melody augmented by banjo, accordion and musical saw. A distorted six-string riff powers the rocking "Silver Lining" while a tinkling hammer dulcimer adds texture to the thumping "Cruel Minor Change." The songs are never overwhelmed by the attention; Kurosky and crew know exactly which sound to choose to accent each song. The emotional impact of tunes like "Gene Autry," the sardonic "Popular Mechanics For Lovers" and the gently swaying "What Will You Do When Your Suntan Fades?" stay at the forefront, helped immeasurably by Kurosky's boy-next-door tenor. "I know what it means to you," he sings in "Burned By the Sun," "And I know what it means to me," and well, he means it, man. A slightly cynical wit may provide some color to Kurosky's tunes, but there's little irony. The Coast is Never Clear keeps the sun out and the water sparkling.

This World, Then the Fireworks..., the third record from the Witch Hazel Sound, is less rooted in 90s indie rock than in 70s AM pop and 60s psychedelia. That isn't to say the album is at all retro, but the quintet sounds less like it's rediscovering older sounds and applying them to new ideas and more like it's carrying on a popular music tradition. Like Beulah, the WHS makes good use of horns, particularly trumpet, and low-key string arrangements, but the members mostly eschew guest musicians, limiting themselves to whatever instruments they're able to utilize themselves. Also like Beulah, the Hazels always emphasize the melody in their performances. Songs like the lush "Blue City," soft-rocking "2 or 3 Things I Know About Her" and "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" accent the tunes with guitarist Kevin Coral's steady rhythms and Mark F.'s artless vocals. There are no repressed emotions here, either—"Give me one more chance to make things better," F. pleads in "Sun Horse Moon Horse." Songwriters F. and Coral obviously believe a heartfelt plea is best served on a beautiful dish. Not to mention a catchy one: "Fireworks," the prettily melancholic "Kiss Me Monster" ("Darkness take my pain away," F. croons sweetly) and the celebratory "Music Becomes Vibration" have melodies for which most popsters would sell a sibling. This World, Then the Fireworks... boasts a beautifully organic sound, as if the engineers captured music streaming out of the wild through the studio window. Nature, however, rarely resonates as beautifully as the Witch Hazel Sound.

Both of these bands stand at the forefront of modern indie pop music because of their devotion to serious songcraft and melodious noise. As refreshing as a light rain and as expressive as a field of roses, Beulah and the Witch Hazel Sound keep unabashed beauty hip. Michael Toland

For fans of:
Beulah: the Pernice Brothers, Belle & Sebastian, the Apples in stereo
The Witch Hazel Sound: the Left Banke, the Sneetches, Archer Prewitt