Spiller Whale - "Fresh Tables" EP

Spiller Whale - "Raptures & Drynesses" (Uncle Grandpa 2007)

Spiller Whale - Fresh Tables EP / Uncle Grandpa

What makes a good indie rock band? I mean elementally, not the shaggy haircuts, thrift store clothing and extensive scene networking that have become unanimous with the tag. Exactly what musical building blocks need to be fastened to an indie rock song’s understructure to cause that 20-something thrill-seeker to perk his ears, set down his overpriced PBR and start paying attention to the hard-working band on stage? Let’s laundry list! A couple anthemic sing-along choruses, driving rhythms that spark energy without overshadowing the clinging melodies, a level of distortion and experimentation to keep the AAA tag from veiling any interest from the true music purveyors, a discernable groove that’ll have the ladies gyrating and the fellas… well interested in the gyrating ladies, an approachable lyrical content that manages to balance a sense of mystery with quotable one-liners as well as evoking self-reflection and sharing the ominous quarter-life crisis questioning the majority of the fanbase is dealing with, instrumentation that stays true to the pop-rock foundation but is textured with touches of exoticness, and the odd coupling that truly makes a quality indie rock band: a degree of complexity within the arrangements, technique and sentiment that challenges, but portrayed in a deceptively simple and understandable manner that makes the listener feel smart and privileged to “get it” when clearly (at least in his/her eyes) the next person does not.

The scrappy Chicago trio, Spiller Whale, encompass these characteristics wholeheartedly with their debut four-song EP, Fresh Tables. Their sound derives from a number of easily pinpointed sources. Minneapolis circa the mid-80s and Seattle circa the late 90s/very early 00s are the main references with hints of early Dim Mak, Jade Tree, Matador, Flameshovel and mid-era Dischord muddled around as well. It is as if they spliced together Pretty Girls Make Graves, Fugazi, X-Ray Spexs, Hüsker Dü, Rocket from the Crypt, early No Doubt and maybe Magazine, pledged allegiance to the mid-90s indie rock vibe and took hints from today’s crop in terms of instrumentation expansion. The arrangements are continuously shifting and slightly awkward, the technique unrefined, and the mixing decisions curious – or in other words – what a good debut indie rock record should sound like.

“Weaklings” opens the EP with a pleasantly simple shaker and electric piano groove, but then completely unsettled by an odd feedback tone. I don’t know if they meant to make it so agitating, but every time I hear it, a physically uncomfortable feeling takes over my stomach. If the point was to get my attention, well done. The song progresses musically into a Bobby Conn-meets-Pretty Girls Make Graves rock tune that encapsulates glam, pop-rock and post-punk into a enlivening number that I’m sure kills on the live stage. Lyrically it is a bit too Gen Y – we should probably get off our asses and start fighting for something though we’re not exactly sure for what – for my tastes, but the urgency seems heartfelt and the energy matches the music.

The following track, “Rapture and Drynesses”, heads in a much stronger direction. The vocals turn to a raspy, Ian MacKaye-influenced style, and for that matter, the vocal interaction in general takes on a Fugazi shape. About halfway through though the band loosens its influences and interjects electronic noise, discordant breakdowns and a baritone sax low end that makes for a much more intriguing listen. “Dark Horse Flame” continues the creative trend, even leaning in the direction of Tom Waits with its clever superimpositions of gritty and pretty sound. The final track, “Map With No Names”, matches slightly prog-ish arrangements with mellowed thirdwave ska and that late-90s pre-emo indie-rock that balances cheese and endearment quite well.

The Fresh Tables EP is a solid debut effort no doubt, but more than anything, it displays immense promise for the Chicago three-piece. They have a ways to go yet, especially in terms of digging themselves out of their influences and surpassing their current derivative state. It does feel like the creativity and passion is there though, and perhaps just a little separation from their favorite bands will help spur a more earnestly original sound. The important part is that they’ve hit the ground running and display all of the aforementioned characteristics that make a quality indie rock band. If you live in Chicago, you just may want to catch the next Spiller Whale show, because hey, it always feels good to say “well I saw them live before…”.