The Morning Benders – Big Echo

The Morning Benders released its latest album entitled Big Echo in early March 2010. The Morning Benders have been in the music business since 2007 and are relative newcomers to the indie scene.
   The band is originally from Berkeley, California, and it began building its fan base around the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
   The Morning Benders has toured in support of bands such as Grizzly Bear, The Kooks, Death Cab for Cutie, and Ra Ra Riot, as well as played with Yo La Tengo, MGMT and others.
   A fun fact about them is that Loose Change, one of the band’s first two EPs, was recorded on a laptop with one microphone, and Boarded Doors was recorded at the band’s home practice space in a basement.
   Unconventional? Yes. Unique? Yes. Creative? Well, yes. As far as I’m concerned, Big Echo is 3 for 3.�
   The album begins with “Wet Cement.” Part of what makes this track amazing is that it is largely defined by its unique and wide range of percussion instruments. These include heavy drum reverbs that send hollow echoes flooding through your headphones. The effect is awesome yet not overpowering. A soft maraca rhythm accompanies the hard percussion. The mix of instruments is not unlike that of Vampire Weekend.
   “Promises” has an array of rhythms that change subtlety, one flowing into the next perfectly, throughout the course of the song. It has an interesting style with vocals that at times resemble Animal Collective.
   And if I just compared The Morning Benders to Vampire Weekend and Animal Collective, you know they must be good.
   “Hand Me Downs” includes the album’s signature percussion, but this time throws a tambourine into the mix. The song is very earthy in the sense that every sound seems to reverberate off the others. At the very end of the song, all of the lyrics, vocals and instruments collide into a cacophony of sound that gives way to the beautiful cascade of piano keys. I would deem “Hand Me Downs” as one of the most creative tracks on the album.
   “Excuses” is my favorite song on Big Echo. It begins with the sound of someone placing a vinyl record on a turntable, transitions into an almost tropical melody, and breaks into a beautiful violin piece accompanied by percussion with an international texture. (Have I mentioned percussion before?) “Excuses” is one of the faster, rhythmic and upbeat songs on the album. It also follows a “one, two, three” rhythm that is not unlike the waltz: perfect for a lovely spring day.
   Other noteworthy and slower indie songs from the album include “Sleepin In,” “Pleasure Sighs” and “Mason Jar.”