This was a tough nut to crack. Wow! Why, you ask? Well, this is way out of my comfort zone. It’s as simple as that. Every now and then I enjoy that. It made me discover some great music. Writing about it is a bit more difficult as my frame of reference is a bit limited. So, let’s see what I can tell you about Spelling Reform's debut album No One’s Ever Changed…
Spelling Reform is a indie rock band from Philadelphia. In 2015 they released an EP called Diving Bell. Their debut continues down the same road. I’ll admit stealing the references from other reviews, but names you can find are Wilco and Guided By Voices. I like to add Dinosaur Jr to the equation (but that’s mainly because it’s the closest thing I’m listening to). Compared to Dinosaur Jr this is a lot mellower, but it carries the same vibe at times. The indie on this album can be catchy, but also sound introspective (“Drag Your Horse”) and sometimes a bit upbeat (“The Coolest Day” by far the best track on this record).
You have to know there’s a second reason this was a tough nut to crack: Dan Wisniewski’s voice. He most definitely has a love it or hate it voice. And, you might have guessed it, I’m in the hate it camp. His voice is ruining this record for me. Listening to this album completely is a big task to me. Even though the eleven songs only last about 31 minutes. By the time I get to second track, “Expiration Date,” I’m ready to kill the bloke (sorry Dan…). If you are now wondering what he sounds like: according to the promo blurb his sound has been compared to The Mountain Goats, Dan Bejar and even Woody Allen.
All things considering this album has a couple of nice tunes, but with a singer I can’t stand. If you love the singers mentioned above I think you should check this out. I’ll just move on to the next album to review...
