2:00 AM Wake Up Call is making indie-ish, lo-fi-ish, emo-ish, folksy music in High Point, NC. ‘Dead City’ is their new album.
Let me start by saying that their sound is quite rich, as their arrangements include not only a classic rock band instrument list (drums, bass, and guitars) but also mandolin and synth parts. The vocals are warm, melodic, and expressive, ranging from soft hums and lovely backing vocal arrangements (almost old-school, like one would find in The Beach Boys, but also in folk music) to more energetic, emo/punk-style deliveries, but without aggression or screaming.
Personally, I can hear a lot of R.E.M. in many of the songs, as well as Fleetwood Mac and Bob Dylan. Perhaps that is the folk influence, and since I am not very knowledgeable about folk music, I may only be perceiving those elements through the bands I know that popularised this sound. ‘If I Could Go Back’ is an excellent example of that sound, arranged and executed flawlessly.
The band is not limited at all to that sound, though, and that fact makes this album very diverse. Notice how the synth adds some extra The Who flavour in ‘Record to Tape’, and the telephone/radio effect on the vocals is a bit more 90s-early 00s, evoking Placebo to my mind.
‘Bitrot’ lets the mandolin carry the melodies. Then I am pleasantly surprised to hear a Bossa nova, Latin-inspired beat break into ‘We all live our lives in constant pain’, with nice synth parts with a jazz/fusion Rhodes sound.
The band goes on to keep showcasing their versatility with a synth riff in ‘Composition Book’ which could easily be something out of The New Order or Depeche Mode, but not produced in that way, as their folk elements come back after the intro and at this point it is obvious to me, that they are flirting and experimenting with all those different sounds and elements, but as their main musical style is quite strong and defined, the whole album sounds very cohesive, but never repetitive, which is is easy to happen in an album, so 2:00AM Wake Up Call are gracefully avoiding that trap.
This album would be great for fans of indie rock and folk, and also has mainstream appeal, as the vocal melodies, riffs, and themes are very memorable. The drums and bass grooves are well thought out. The vocals are very warm and “user-friendly”!
Written by Spiros Maus
