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Murmurs are my FAVORITE local band!!!! Hands down. End of story.
I have been sitting here for an hour racking my brain, trying to decide how and where to begin writing about Murmurs as a band. I guess I am going to start by saying this: The men who comprise this fantastic madness are some of the most wonderful people I have ever known in my life. Jordan, Derek, Jesse and Jerome are absolutely amazing at what they do and I am more than grateful to call them my friends. That being said, it is sometimes hard to write about records created by people you hold so dear to your heart. It can be very tough to be objective when your friends are the ones making the music. Luckily, I have nothing but mass amounts of praise to heap upon these songs and this record as a whole. I don't find myself being drawn to this sort of gruff, Pop-Punk styled stuff as often as I used to. Maybe it's because there are just so many bands trying and failing at playing within this genre. Murmurs are the best at it!! The 8 songs that make up this release are all-around emotional, introspective, bitter, scarred and caustic. These guys have all been playing in bands for years and it really shows in the hefty levels of perfection permeating throughout. I could go on for an hour talking about which bands each member has spent time in, but, that would be a lesson in futility. As Filth said, "The list is thousands long!!!" Well, maybe not that long, but pretty damn extensive, none the less... Do some research, I think you will be surprised.
Musically, Murmurs could best be described as East Bay influenced, Post-Grunge Pop-Punk. There is a very definite Northwest influence here as well, by which I mean these are the perfect songs to listen to during a rain-drenched weekend in Seattle when it is pointless going outside because the fridge is filled with beer and that jar of cannabis just won't stop calling your name. Making comparisons here has been a bit tricky, as Murmurs are their own entity entirely and don't really sound like any other bands in particular. Like I said, there is a definite East Bay thing going on. Imagine Jawbreaker and Chrimpshrine. But there are also heavy doses of that beautiful Chicago sound that was so prevalent in the late 80's and early 90's. I am most closely reminded of the wonderful Pegboy/Naked Raygun/Bhopal Stiffs/Effigies family tree. Basically, what you get is gritty, mid-tempo Punk with a dark, almost sinister Pop edge at times. Every song is amazing, but, the standout tracks for me are 'Lil'merica', 'Rookery' and 'Snow Angels'. Seeing Murmurs live is always a revelation and I am pretty sure I have seen every one of their hometown shows since they started. They just continue getting better and better every time I see them. I can't wait for the physical release of the album, which, as I have heard it will be released by our friend Adam and his label Ladies' Choice Records right here in Seattle. I don't know if that is actually the case, though, I can't think of a more deserving label to release such a masterpiece. I can safely say, this will remain my #1 pick for best record of the year!!!! Unfortunately, I don't think there is an available download for the songs, which means you are just going to have to wait until the tape comes out and try to get your hands on a copy. It is going to be pretty limited, so... I am going to get mine, I suggest you do the same.
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