I don't know if I just got dissillusioned with the Coathangers from the slightly letdown sound of their self titled, or if they were they like the Vivian Girls, they blew up before I could get the hang of them? They start to feel a little too contrived?
I don't know, I'm not ready to give up on the Coathangers yet, I think their Self Titled didn't capture what I liked about how sloppy and fun they were live. It's more contained on the record, all the instruments sound separated, the vocals sound restrained....trust me I've been listening to it a bunch to try to like it again. I just remember why it isn't doing it for me....the recording. I loved them live. The personality is kind of missing a little, the attitude, the keyboard sounds...well...actually good. I guess I wanted it to sound a little more raw, garagey.
Anyway I ran across this single from the Splinters which made me want to revisit the Coathangers because I have the same feeling with these guys especially based on that youtube video for the A-Side 'Splintered Bridges', their having such an unpretentious good time. That performance is everything that I love about playing in the backyard when it comes together and create something out of the simplest things...the whole time making it sound completely new. It's one of those little videos that's inspiring and I remember why I spend time tracking down these singles and why they are so important...breaking bands like this.
The track on the myspace feels like they capture most of this energy, especially in the vocals. It's a harmonized layered chorus mixed perfectly. Right in the middle of the room sound, you're there. It's killing me trying to figure out what else this is reminding me of...the Yips! The raw pure songwriting that comes out of a random day fucking around, having a few too many drinks...the stuff that isn't too dramatic, but is a perfect glimpse of the everyday.
Ok I'm building this up too much now, it's just hitting the right tone for today or something.
If that wasn't enough I like the B-Side 'Sorry' even more. Just when you think it's going all out 60's throwback girl harmony shangri-la's (another reference I keep seeing lately) they go and pull out this lyric driven almost bedroom Softies sound. It's not twee or anything, there's a grrrrl attitude, but it's homemade, with a restrained catchy guitar melody under this intimate layered vocal. Great. Completely sincere anti-love letter where they aren't sorry dad doesn't like you and they aren't quitting smoking. So there.
I'm waiting to hear what's next.
Get it from Double Negative records on the west coast.
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