By Alex Brenner
A few years ago this relatively young band caught my ear with 2008′s Talking Through Tin Cans
The opening track, “Excuses,” is probably one of the best pop songs I’ve heard in awhile and it seems almost impossible for the rest of the record to live up to it. The rest of the record does not have the momentum of “Excuses,” but if all the songs were like that I might get bored anyway. In fact, the next few songs almost have this Sgt. Pepper sound going on; tons of harmony vocals and atmospheric sounds. Yet they are simple too – like “Wet Cement” or “Pleasure Sighs”. The second half of the record is much slower and laid back. Overall the album sounds like sunny California; similar to The Shins style of modern pop.
The Morning Benders have beaten that sophomore slump. Big Echo is really a great pop effort. It’s short and sweet and I could listen to it over and over again. This band knows their strengths and sticks to them. This is possibly one of the best indie pop bands to come out of the Bay Area since Beulah.
Listen: The Morning Benders – Excuses
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