By ANDREW FICKES
Tamara Power-Drutis is warm and fuzzy and Matt Batey is a little rough around the edges, but together, the duo make for an impressive, enduring force as The Warm Hardies.
Power-Drutis and Batey like to call their music "dignified melancholic folk/pop," and the description couldn't be more true.
On the group's EP "Songs for Grownups" listeners are treated to a beautiful array of acoustic guitars mixed with robust and rich vocal harmonies.
And the themes the pair touch upon are contemplative "adult" issues.
Some are a little blunt like Matt Batey's song "I Don't Love You," which plainly tells someone that "I don't, don't love you, honey/no matter how bad you want me."
"I Don't Love You," is an uptempo piece that races to the finish line, all the while exhibiting toe-tapping, head bobbing elation with throbbing bass, electric guitar explosion, loud drums and a signature French Horn hook by Corrie Strandjord. The kind of song you can play loudly in your convertible with the top down during summer. It even ends with overdubs of party-like chatter from Batey, Power-Drutis and other members of the band, which consist of musicians from Seattle-band Hey Marseilles. When I first heard the track, I thought of the 1968 pop/rock track "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone.
Power-Drutis and Batey's vocals really come together on this track, which utilize a sing and repeat phrasing.
The opening track on the three-song EP is "Fast and Heavy."
"'Fast and Heavy' is the first song we wrote together," Power-Drutis said. "We wrote and recorded the song in a two-hour period. We wanted to write a song about trains and nothing but trains, but after listening to it, we realized it had broader meaning."
"Only Someday," a moving song with a sole vocal by Power-Drutis, is about facing struggles in life and depression and how friendships can pull you out of those hardships.
The Warm Hardies will release their EP at 8 p.m. Friday, May 6 at the Conor Byrne in Ballard, supported by folk/rock acts Horde and the Harem and chamber pop/folk group Exohxo.
"(Horde and the Harem) have real heartfelt music," Power-Drutis said. "People are dancing at the shows. You're physically involved with the music. They have a richness to their tunes."
"Exohxo have very good song arrangments," she added.
Power-Drutis said how Seattle has had a lot of new indie/folk/pop acts. She certainly thinks The Warm Hardies complement the scene.
"Our focus is on thick, vocal harmonies and rich lyrics," she said. "Hopefully it comes through on the EP and in our live shows."
For more information on The Warm Hardies, visit http://www.warmhardies.com/. Cover charge at the door Friday night is $7. Come out and support this hot new act.
0 comments:
Post a Comment