What strikes me foremost about this record are the vocals. As the father of a 13 y.o. daughter I feel qualified to say that this person could be a pop singer. I mean I don’t really know what it takes to be one, although I’m sure that it’s more than a voice good enough to win a game show, I’ve at least heard enough pop songs lately to feel at liberty to make this observation. So aren’t we lucky to have this person singing in a punk band? Or maybe it’s post punk or I’d even call it neo-grunge although i’m guessing nobody wants to be called that… I’m just saying it’s cool that this singer decided to stick with punk (or indie rock?) instead of taking a stab at being the next American Idol.
I’m usually the first person to say “I only like their first record”, but there is something to be said about following the progress of a band from album to album. Sweeping Promises’ debut Hunger for a Way Out on Feel It Records from 2020 was maybe not lo-fi but minimalist in its production and instrumentation. The follow-up- 2023’s Good Living Is Coming For You a Feel It/Sub Pop corelease- to me sounds like a less electro Le Tigre meets Wire. With You Say I Romanticize Sweeping Promises have gone for a wall of sound by layering the guitars and vocals. This is a cool sounding record and I think it’s cool that it doesn’t sound exactly like the previous two. I hate the idea of (and generally the sound of) albums that have been over produced, but even tho it sounds bigger, I don’t think this album suffers for it.
From what I’ve read and understand this is not a case where the band or the label has brought in a producer who has put their own stamp on the band's studio sound. This is D.I.Y., like their previous releases it is produced by guitarist Caufield Schnug. Unlike previous albums, they brought in touring drummer Spenser Gralla which adds to the expansive sound on this recording. It sounds like the band just decided to spend more time on it (which can also be a slippery slope sometimes) but they tried to do something different and, as variety is the spice of life, I applaud them for it. Was unsurprised to learn that bassist/vocalist Lira Mondal grew up singing in choirs more so than punk bands but equally unsurprised that she and Schnug have played in several iterations of this songwriting partnership. My research leads me to believe that this partnership goes back at least as far as 2012 with the first Silkies release, but the progressive path to their current sound becomes more apparent on 2017’s Kiss Kiss by Blau Blau when the two were still based in Boston.
As a total sucker for male/female vocals I’d be a liar if I said I wouldn't love to hear Schnug doing the harmonies. Mondal doing her own harmonies does lend it a more polished pop but, along with the fuzzier guitars, it reminds me of the Deal sisters era of The Breeders. Curious to see if these harmonies will be done live when I see/play with them later this month. Mondal can sing soaring melodies, also has raw growl and can pull off everything in between while also holding down the jagged bass lines. With art by Claire Monroe which offers a Barney Bubbles-esque take on Memphis design, you get the whole package here and as the second Sub Pop release I’ve reviewed this year (and with recent signings of Twisted Teens and Vancouver’s PISS!) someone at the legacy label is doing a great job.
