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Morning Spy: Self-Titled EP
This San Francisco trio has only released seven songs worth of recorded material since their official inception during the pleasant Bay Area summer of 2002. They waited until the dying embers of the following winter when they teamed up with Bart Thurber in the studio to record their spacey brand of dream-pop, the result being the five songs on this self-titled EP. (Some of the album tracks and some other self-recorded goodies are available on their official website). Any of the songs on this EP seem capable of standing on their own as singles, but together, the sum of its parts serves as a testament to the bands ability to keep their dreamy soundscapes equally focused and free-floating. The main vocalist, Allison Goffman croons softly while strumming her guitar to the rhythm section consisting of Mark Loftin (drums) Jon Rooney (bass, guitar). Goffman and Rooney share vocal duties, but their take on the boy-girl vocalizing isn't as goddamn cute as when Goffman sings alone. Her voice is sweet enough to project both fear and naivety when she warns a love interest that he or she "will be sorry" and if only he or she could "see (her) now" on the EP's opener "Summer Ache." Song titles such as this one and "Accidental Stars" give the impression that the lyrics could be pigeonholed as tormented campfire rock, but the EP's closing track, "All Romance," has the ability to lure the listener in as Goffman and Rooney remind you to not "blame the fireflies cause you can't sleep" before the instrumentation erupts in a manner similar to the way that Yo La Tengo used to do it. Sure, comparisons to bands such as Yo La Tengo and Galaxie 500 are unavoidable, but they can be dispelled; this is clearly a band that doesn't have a problem being compared to legendary groups as long as the listener can make the distinction that this is still truly original music. Of course, hearing Goffman's sweet voice will make you wonder if she is really Juliana Hatfield hiding out through the witness protection program. Maybe it was hard making a living after the hype of female-fronted bands (Belly, Letters to Cleo) died down towards the end of the mid-1990's. At any rate, this EP is definitely enjoyable whether you're on a camping trip or not. The universal themes that Morning Spy incorporates here will make this album a staple in your post-relationship breakup music for years to come.
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