The Symptones are a band that seems to be doing its damnedest to create the next classic American album, and their debut full-length Irrational Fears / Overactive Imagination has definitely given them a springboard toward that goal. The band has a unique blend of funk, soul, and folk filtered through indie rock that allows their music to feel oddly familiar yet different.
From the first triumphant notes of the opening song "Fall Guy," the Springsteen-ian need to take your partner and just run is thrust front and center. Following "Fall Guy" is the album's single "Rosetta," which is another anthem about the familiar daydream of taking your love and running away. "Rosetta" has one of my favorite moments on this album. The breakdown in the bridge is a Beach Boys-styled vocal line mixed with a punk breakdown that should not work on paper. Drummer Steve George hammers on his kit while the guitars play delicate arpeggios and the bass dances around the groove. This album was produced by Ali Jaafar at Ecstattic Studio. Jaafar is known for his work with heavier Minnesota bands, and his knowledge of heavy music combined with the band's subtle touch makes this section (and song) absolute perfection.
On the other side of this album are the songs that handle the less glamorous side of love. The parts where you are suddenly terrified you may ruin a relationship or the person you love will just up and leave you. Father John Misty has touched on this with his album I Love You, Honeybear, but The Symptones handle this with less tongue-in-cheek cynicism.
"More Compatible Signs" is about a relationship that isn't in the process of breaking up but one that is going stale, and a couple looking at any way to living things back up. The album's ballad, "Boxes," deals with the fear of everything falling apart on you. Vocalist Taylor Tuomie taps into the anxiety of coming home only to find the thing you have helped build sitting in boxes on the side of the road. "How Ya Feelin'" is a bit of an oddity on Irrational Fears / Overactive Imagination. Its pop-punk vibe doesn't sonically fit with the rest of the album's flow; however, the song feels like a natural result of the previous emotional headache. Tuomie earnestly sings, "And I know what brought me here / I wanna don't wanna stay." He's been pushed to the edge and needs to leave, not because he wants to but because he has no other option. "How Ya Feelin'" gives the album a shot in the arm to propel it into the final stretch.
Irrational Fears / Overactive Imagination's send-off "Get to You" perfectly wraps up the record. The band pushes themselves to the limit, only to pull back at the last second, time and time again until they finally let all hell break loose. Jake Nemec's trumpet playing is pushed front and center along with a roaring guitar solo to give the song an additional anthemic quality. If this album was a movie, "Get to You" would be the final shot where the main characters race off in their car without looking back.
The Symptones absolutely knocked it out of the park with this record. The sound introduced on their first EP Walks On By has been solidified to create something truly American and just in time for summer listening. You can listen to Irrational Fears / Overactive Imagination where you get your music.
Favorite Tracks: "Rosetta," "Boxes," "Don't Cut Me Loose," and "Get to You."
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