Hot Wax: The Morning Benders’ Talking Through Tin Cans

The full version of this review appears in the pages of TRACER Magazine.

Talking Through Tin Cans could very well end up being the soundtrack to your next summer getaway. The debut LP by The Morning Benders is a breezy-affair—a collection of catchy indie-pop songs that combine earnest vocals, surf-rock guitars, ragtime pianos and psychedelic fuzz.

The Berkeley quartet of Chris Chu (vocals, guitar), Joe Ferrell (guitar, keyboards), Julian Harmon (drums) and Tim Or (bass) borrow a page or two from the Elephant 6 song-writing book, but let enough of their own personality show to make this album worthwhile. Chu’s vocals inhabit a sonic space somewhere between The Shins’ James Mercer and Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes (particularly on the Barnes’ sounding “Patient Patient”), perfectly complimenting the band’s light drums and acid-dosed guitar.

The band sounds particularly strong on “Heavy Hearts” and “Waiting for a War,” tracks that spotlight Ferrell’s electric piano playing. The way in which The Morning Benders bring “Waiting for a War” to its swirling conclusion, in particular,” suggests that greater things may lie ahead. The songs of Talking Through Tin Cans are a bit light on lyrical substance, with Chu spending most of the album lamenting lost loves, but there’s certainly a place for this brand of dream-pop.

Talking Through Tin Cans is a solid debut effort from a promising new band. There’s room for growth and maturation, to be sure, but there’s no reason why The Morning Benders can’t bring a little light hearted, sunny rock ‘n roll to your stereo this summer.

Curt Whitacre