A signature moment arrives for Tidal Volume on "Stealin' Sips," the second of four cuts on its brand-new EP "Enjoy the Show," out this week.
Bandleader Zach Sullentrup identifies the Sisyphean task of starting each new day, then both undercuts and underlines the statement with a disarmingly funny image:
"Why does every morning feel like a mountain? / I’m stealin' sips from a gas station soda fountain," Sullentrup sings.
The couplet cuts to the heart of the Tidal Volume project. The St. Louis band, which grew into its sound while living in Columbia, is forever minding and mining the tension between rock 'n' roll as an eternally youthful art form and the need to grow up. On this set of admittedly heart-on-sleeve indie pop, Sullentrup and Co. run headlong toward that dichotomy while taking steps forward musically and personally.
"Love Like You" jumpstarts the EP with chugging guitars that live somewhere between 1980s arena rock and present-tense emo; a lovely synth countermelody bends the song toward a New Wave sensibility. Sullentrup lines out various angles of self-loathing while sounding a plea to not stay in one place, but learn to love self and others more fully.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
"Stealin' Sips" follows with its spiky guitars and dynamic punctuation, constantly straddling the line between tragedy and comedy. Synths wash over Sullentrup's gas station poetry, lending their gravity before the entire track upends itself (delightfully) with a spoken-word dialogue with someone who may or may not be God.
"New Tattoo" again merges the dark (guitars) and light (keys) to compelling effect, like something in the lineage of Weezer, while Sullentrup considers questions of identity and expectation through the tattoo process.
Closing the EP, "Male Authors" further exhibits Tidal Volume's trajectory, as Sullentrup looks for the there there in prior literary deities. Hearing the band end its set with the question "Are men OK?" is worth the entire experience.
"Enjoy the Show" takes stock of this moment in Sullentrup's songwriting and the Tidal Volume arc, shining light on a band that's more mature than it might think but also enjoys taking the piss out of so many absurd choices mature people are expected to make.
Learn more about Tidal Volume's work at https://tidalvolume.bandcamp.com/.
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.
Most Popular
Comments / 0