The Pretty Graves - "Bending Reeds"
Photo courtesy of The Pretty Graves
When a press release compares a new song to artists like Elliott Smith, The Dandy Warhols, The Velvet Underground, Pavement, and Wilco, it's guaranteed I'm going to listen to it. The only problem is that I'm going to be hypercritical of it as I expect not to hear any of those bands' influence. Luckily, you can hear every one of those artists in "Bending Reeds," the latest from The Pretty Graves. The Connecticut band have created a groovy and hypnotic art rock track for their new single. The wonderfully weird thing about it is that as you listen, if you think about any of the above bands, you'll start to hear them. It has the psychedelic groove of The Dandy Warhols, which morphs into the alt-country/dad rock of Wilco, and then the psych-drone of The Velvet Underground, and so on. Plus, Christopher M. Lisorti's vocals somehow sound like Jeff Tweedy, Lou Reed, and Courtney Taylor-Taylor all at once. The Pretty Graves' sound is one that is completely fresh and totally familar at the same time.
Christopher M. Lisorti says of his band's new single:
“This song is about this place where I find peace, even when it seems like the world is crashing down all around me. I saw a finch perched on a bending reed in the marsh. It made me notice that all the reeds were bending from the past windy days. The song is a still life; the lyrics paint the picture.”
You can listen to "Bending Reeds" below. The Pretty Graves' self-titled debut album is due out May 8 on L'Appel Du Vide Des Disques. For more on the band, check out their website.
