The Morning Benders
Big Echo

The title of the second album by the Morning Benders: “Big Echo”, couldn’t better meet the expectations received from critics at its release, including a blessing from Pitchfork. After their timid debut back in 2008, the Californian band has not stopped, playing with groups such as Yo La Tengo, MGMT, Grand Archives, Yeasayer, The Rosebuds, We Are Scientists, Au Revoir Simone and going on tour with folks like The Kooks, Death Cab for Cutie, Ra Ra Riot, and Grizzly Bear.
It seems that the latter and their substantial experimental rock have been the main source of inspiration, the fact that this album is co-produced together with the bassist of these 'bears', Chris Taylor, reinforces this aspect, you might say. This next big thing broadly scatters the cards to captivate the audience: expanded harmonies, bittersweet melodies, and dreamy atmospheres. However, the writing of some tracks is raw, and overall there is a noticeable lack of personality that tends to overshadow the band's potential.
Tracks like “Pleasure Sighs” and “Mason Jar” show promise but get lost along the way, leaving good melodic ideas unfulfilled. In episodes like “Hand me Downs” and the closer “Stitches” – “Sleeping In” the cavernous ghost of The Walkmen looms too pale.

It’s the opening of the album that offers flashes of excellent music: the tender “Excuses”, where the youthful tone of lead singer Christopher Chu is given due merit, the arrogance of the bass in “Promises”, a song that travels between surf, soul, and psych-rock accompanied by an apt text. Also interesting is the acrobatic “Cold War (Nice Clean Fight)” with its screeching guitars.
Not everything that glitters is washed with mister-shine however, and the hype around this band proves largely unjustified.

Good ideas are present, to be matured and developed, which at least provide good hope for the future. Hopefully, the next one won’t be another elusive echo.