In a time where the music world is bogged down with never-ending genre classification, Chicago’s Engine Summer remain hard to peg down. The 3-piece is just a damn good rock band that aren’t afraid to shift gears on a dime and evolve their sound.
Indiana finds the band doing just that. The 7-track album kicks off with the driving bass and drum groove of “The Sticks” which sounds like it could be the perfect opening of a ’70s cop drama or the new Quentin Tarantino movie. Songs like “Outside the Curtain” get a little more abstract with elements of noise and math rock riffs making their way into what is still a polished rock single. With most songs clocking in under 3 minutes the album flies by in no time and leaves you wanting more. Each track feels like a small vignette that has a story to tell and a vibe that’s often totally different from the previous track. It all sounds just as fresh the second time through.
Indiana is a slick, and utterly cool listening experience. Post-punk guitar and bass lines mix and mingle with a ’60s garage rock vocals to form songs that feel loose and off-the-cuff but tight and contained all at once. Engine Summer have crafted their magnum opus and it’s one you’ll want to put on repeat.
Stream Indiana in full below via Spotify:
The album was recorded by Luke Otwell and mastered by Dion Lunadon (bassist of A Place to Bury Strangers). The band has a spring/summer tour in the works—check the dates below and be sure to catch them in your town!
7/28 Witchita, KS at Kirby’s