Umbrellas - Umbrellas
Having been intrigued by Umbrellas and then listening to the album, it’s clear that sometimes, it’s a good thing to leave some of those details behind
From the blurred promotional photos to the cleverly constructed story-like biography, Umbrellas seem to enjoy the mystifying deceptions behind them. What is more surprising is how Umbrellas stray away from most of the Militia Group roster and offer a more indie rock quality with a melodic folksy touch to their music. For the most part, the album is very relaxed and peaceful with a few bubbly moments that are thrown in to spruce things up a bit. Most of the songs are accompanied by the piano and vintage keyboards with easy-on-the-ears guitars with subtle tones and placid drumming. With the vocals of Scott Windsor added on top of all the music you really get some pleasant sounding tunes.
Now the music isn’t all that catchy but with this style of indie rock, it isn’t such a negative quality. The assumption is that most bands would try to sugar coat the music by adding in some catchy hooks and choruses, but Umbrellas go back to that intrigue and air of mystery by keeping their music away from the typical trappings of generic pop music. Instead, they fill their time by making the songs somewhat complex but not overly constructed. Now this might not appeal to the mainstream, but for those who would rather experience their music with a tad of inventiveness, Umbrellas are sure to appeal to you. The majority of the songs on the release are really solid and enduring- mostly due to the strong instrumentation. Hearing a rhythm section so stark on a release is a breath of fresh air.
The lyrics are also above average and really help fill in with the whole indie rock backdrop. On the track “June, Summer, Rose” the lyrics, while prosaic, hold its own little story while fitting into the overall tone of the album:
“I once knew a girl named June / and one July she waved goodbye / I remember finding her curled up on an old box spring / she said / I’m gonna make mistakes, I just hope you notice / I once spoke to a girl named summer / and one fall she stood so tall/ she found some confidence and some wings / and she flew away / she sang / you can’t hold me down any longer / what a beautiful song it was.”
Coming into this album without much anticipation or information does the listener good. Having been intrigued by Umbrellas and then listening to the album, it’s clear that sometimes, it’s a good thing to leave some of those details behind.
(The Militia Group)