The Upstart Crows
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| The Upstart Crows |
Interview & Review
When I first heard The Upstart Crows music, the comparison of Jon's voice with Death Cab For Cutie vocals was quite acceptable. Their debut album is focused around a relatable and personal subject that I believe everyone might struggle with at any age. Jon explains that "the album is a collection of independent stories connected by lyrical themes of isolation and abandonment presented in a very upbeat and energetic musical package. Kind of like how people are in real life.” This explanation of the album is truly what intrigued me about the band.
Jon started playing music "in high school, one of my friends wanted to start a band and told me to buy a bass guitar, so I did. Unfortunately, we didn’t get through two practices before everyone got bored, but I got the bug. So I asked my cousin for his guitar and started playing that instead. I wasn’t a fan of playing covers, so I just wrote my own songs instead." Forest and Jon met each other in a college located in New Hampshire sometime in 2015. From 2016-2018, they worked on their debut album which is expected to be released on August 24th (Friday). Jon tells me that remarkable musicians such as the Gorillaz and Jack White influence their songs. They are hoping to build their fan base from just friends and family after their album release.
Jon Adams (vocals/guitar) says his favorite song on their album is What Did I Say, a reflective piece that sounds pretty simple but also very personal. Forest DeCoste (drums/bassist/vocals) tells me his favorite song is Mercury Kisses, a song I don't personally find appealing except for the catchy riff.
Their debut album has a good amount of songs that really caught my attention at first, and some that I don't find as good as they could be. Melancholy Haze (which reminds me of High And Dry by Radiohead), Bad Medicine, Nice Guy (my new theme song 😋), and Lying & Crying are songs that really grabbed me. Personally, I found Tightrope Walker to be a very relatable song. Jon tells me, "Tightrope Walker is about a character who has trouble fitting in the world, he’s not a total outcast but he isn't your everyday-Joe. He walks along that line, which can be very lonely. The story is about him looking for love but finding the typical methods to not really working for him (going to club/bar to meet people)." The song that I have to brutally be honest about are the following..... Song of Time sounds like Dixie Waillin, way too similar!
Jon tells me "we plan to try and expand our sound, I've been experimenting loop pedals and would love to create a fuller sound with our two piece set up. We also have just been trying to add different styles of music such as more personal lyrics and just trying to expand as an artist. We're also trying to make new music so we don’t get bored with our own sound."
Just like Jon sings in his last track (Wait for Me), for fans of this debut album.... "Good things come to those who wait"...... "We got a lot of songs in the works currently. Most of the music is done it’s just the lyrics that take a while. But I'm hoping we can release another album or EP in a year."
I would like to thank Jon for reaching out to me for a review, you guys defintely got good vibes from me! I will keep you all updated, so please find your way to my Facebook and Instagram pages under Unedited Music Blog!
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| The Upstart Crows (2018) The Upstart Crows |
Overall: ★★★★1/2
The Upstart Crows: ★★★★1/2
Top Song: Bad Medicine
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