Quarterbacks

Quarterbacks (2015)

Johnathon1069

Quarterbacks are a twee punk band from New Platz, New York. For anyone not familiar with twee punk, the best modern example I can think of is Mixtapes. Yet, the band seems to draw equally from bands like Beat Happening, The Go-Betweens, and any of the early 90’s indie rock bands like Pavement or The Folk Implosion. With that in mind, the production quality on this record has a somewhat lo-fi feel to it which creates an even greater nostalgia for classic 90’s indie rock.

The opening song, “Usual”, sets the lyrical tone for the album; with lines such as, “When you said you loved me, did you really mean you missed me?” This isn’t to paint the album as emo, but rather, it comes off much more like an album about being truly nervous about love. Which, I find as I enter the final ten months of my twenties, is a far more relatable feeling for me. What makes that feeling work though is the, mostly, unpretentious honest of the lyrics that are largely reminiscent of Paul Baribeau, and a vocal delivery that is filled with a genuine nervousness that falls somewhere between Jeffery Lewis and Glenn Mercer on the first album by The Feelies.

The band keeps this formula rolling throughout the album, and does so with great success on tracks such as “Stay in Luv”, “Sportscenter”, “Simple Songs”, and “Point Nine.” In do so; they put together a very solid 19 song album that lasts less than 30 minutes. Is this album going to change the way people listen to music … not a chance. Is it going to change the world … far less likely. This album is a good time though, and will likely fall into my regular rotation of albums I throw on when I’m hanging out on the weekend with friends this summer and we’re drinking some beers. And honestly, it’s good to have albums like that in your collection.