Album Reviews
- by Tom Dumarey
Signals Midwest is back at it with ‘Pin,’ their latest release that keeps things short and tidy. Coming at you with just six songs and clocking in at 19 minutes, this one might seem a bit on the light side. But looks can be deceiving.
Rather than kicking the door down, Signals Midwest gently knock before coming in with the electric piano-driven title track that is beautiful, nostalgic and drenched in the finest of Weakerthans traditions. I hear you thinking ‘oh no, they grew up’. Well, I’m sure they did, but as ‘Sanctuary City’ proves that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to rock out anymore. And as ever, they do so with plenty of Midwestern charm thrown in the mix as they remind you how important empathy is.
The best thing about this band’s indie/emo/punk hybrid has always been how they manage to sound anthemic and subtle at the same time and that’s once again no different on songs like ‘Can’t Help But Wonder’ and ‘Your New Old Apartment’ (where they get a little help from Sincere Engineer).
Would I have liked more songs? Obviously. But simply knowing that Signals Midwest is still out there cranking out their particular kind of greatness is already enough.
Track listing:
- Pin
- Sanctuary City
- Can't Help But Wonder
- Your New Old Apartment
- I Think We Can Stay Here
- Time Spent In Transit
Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.
