I’m all for retro music, and this is why initially enjoyed Western Civ’s “Shower the People You Love With Gold”. It sounds as if it were created in 1987, fighting for college radio airtime with The Connells and The Railway Children. But herein lies the problem: It’s one thing to be from 1987, but quite another to sound like 1987. The album was great for a listen, but it just made me run back to my Waxing Poetics cassette.
New artists too often borrow, trying to mask these appropriations with subtle flourishes — an added bridge here, a guitar solo there.
As “I Am A Waterfall” kicks in, it hits me: Lloyd Cole! Yes, that was a good album. With “Rally” I’m with the Lemonheads, before Evan Dando lost any sense of reality. “The Disturbing Presence of Chachi” brings Robyn Hitchcock and his Egyptians to the fore, while “Paper Hornet Parade” puts Let’s Active front and center. The last one can’t be pinned too much on Western Civ — Mitch Eas-ter, Let’s Active founder/lead singer, serves as producer on ‘Shower the People”.
Western Civ recreated the greatest guitar riffs from my youth, and it’s good for a visit. But when bands of today such as M83 and Oxford Collapse take old school to new depths, playing music ripped from the past makes a band as relevant as a Betamax.
So thanks for offering a ride, Western Civ, but you’re two decades too late.
Ethereal dream pop with ambient folk influences. A quiet, layered female vocal lead is processed with hall reverb and subtle delay. The arrangement features deep sub-bass synth, and a minimalist electronic drum kit with a soft kick and crisp hi-hats. Atmospheric synth pads provide a lush harmonic wash. The track is in the key of G major at 110 BPM. The vocal delivery is characterized by soft, whispered textures. A rhythmic synth pulse enters in the second half, adding a subtle drive to the ambient soundscape.
