The Main Drag “Simmer In Your Hotseat”
Endless Recordings
Somewhere under Chuck Klosterman’s desk, the gods of indie
rock are making like bunny rabbits and cranking out stunning debut
albums. Along with the Arcade Fire’s “Funeral”
and the ubiquitous Franz Ferdinand, The Main Drag’s
“Simmer In Your Hotseat” seems poised to jump to the
head of the indie rock class. Recorded by students at Tufts and the
University of Pennsylvania, “Simmer In Your Hotseat”
arrives fully formed, without the gangly, awkward developmental
phases often associated with first albums. The Main Drag occupies
an ambiguous area of indie rock ““ not folk-based enough to be
lumped in with Elliott Smith or Iron & Wine, but not punk (post
or otherwise) enough to join the ranks of Ferdinand or Interpol.
Instead, the band draws upon both sets of influences, merging
crunchy guitars and energetic pacing with heartfelt melodies and
acoustic inflection. “Simmer In Your Hotseat” is an
album about gray areas, of falling into the hazy divide between
slumber and waking. “We get to sleep for a third of, third of
life,” sings songwriter/guitarist Adam Arrigo in
“Broken Clocks.” “Tunnel Lights” contains a
similar refrain: “My sweetest dreams leave me so
tired.” Many of the songs depict a waking state that
threatens to tumble into dreamland at any moment, using the
metaphor of sleep to illustrate the futility of life while
maintaining an optimism about it. While Arrigo’s first-person
lyrics narrate a search for meaning through a sleep-addled daze,
his earnest tenor avoids the cliche of the high-pitched indie
singer. The band takes full advantage of the studio, layering
subtle instrumentation on all sides of the stereophonic spectrum.
Vocals and guitars drift in and out, echoing the dreaming motif as
well as rewarding multiple listens. The songs alternate between
straightforward rockers (“Famous Last Words,” which
features a distinctive keyboard introduction), a lazy strummer (the
cheery, bright “Disappointed You”), and songs like
“Withhold,” a track with overtones of sadness aided by
reverb-laden guitars and strings that threaten to spiral off into
oblivion. Violinist Matt Levitt’s flourishes are a major part
of most of the songs, and add as much melodic character as
Arrigo’s singing. Album finale “I’ll Drink To
That” is the best example of this. The song waltzes along
with the carefree air of Rufus Wainwright’s recent work,
although in Wainwright’s song “Dinner At 8,” an
emotional gravity rests just below the surface and reveals itself
only momentarily. “Tear yourself apart,” sings Arrigo,
drowning in a sea of strings just before the arrangements fall away
for a particularly lighthearted moment. “I just want to find
a place where I can fall asleep with you,” he sings,
accompanied by only his acoustic guitar. Finding happiness in the
warm embrace of sleep may be The Main Drag’s dream, but the
consistent excellence of “Simmer In Your Hotseat” will
keep you wide awake. ““David Greenwald