Everyone needs a vacation.
No matter who you are, there’s something liberating about picking up and leaving home. You see new sights, do new things, leave before you’re ready to, and for all intents and purposes, you see what living is like when you’re not quite your 9 to 5 self. A good vacation can really make you think about where you’ve come from, and that type of reflection is priceless.
In fact it’s so priceless that pianist Greta Salpeter (ex-The Hush Sound) and the rest of Gold Motel have decided to explore that mindset on Summer House.
Clocking in at less than half an hour, Summer House is an immediate amalgam of Beach Boy harmonies, playful guitar work, and a thoughtful exploration of seasonal (and personal) impermanence. The result is a record that doesn’t play to the typical clichés of a “summer album” while offering bright and vibrant hooks.
It begins with the strong 1-2 punch of “We’re On The Run,” which features stutter-stop melodies and twinkling keys before dove tailing into the dreamy guitar work and sugary keyboards of “Perfect In My Mind.” Set against Adam Coldhouse’s thumping backbeat and Matt Minx’s rolling bass work, “Perfect In My Mind” finds Salpeter’s familiar, soothing voice explore a temporary sort of bliss with lines like, “All I have is borrowed/My skin and my bones/All I have is borrowed/But I wear these summer clothes…” In all, both songs set the tone for Summer House, one that revels in Eric Hehr and Dan Duszynski’s jangly guitar twists as well as Salpeter’s syrupy vocals.
For fans of The Hush Sound, it might be a shock to see Salpeter a bit more subdued on Summer House, but that shouldn’t scare them. While her keys don’t punctuate every single song, and her voice opts for coolness rather than sass, it’s impossible to say her talent has waned. Cuts like the slow moving night jazz of “Who Will I Be Tonight?” and the bouncy “Safe In L.A.” show that restraint can go a long way when creating with a group. Ultimately, that quality transforms Gold Motel into something more than just a side project for Salpeter.
It begins with the strong 1-2 punch of “We’re On The Run,” which features stutter-stop melodies and twinkling keys before dove tailing into the dreamy guitar work and sugary keyboards of “Perfect In My Mind.” Set against Adam Coldhouse’s thumping backbeat and Matt Minx’s rolling bass work, “Perfect In My Mind” finds Salpeter’s familiar, soothing voice explore a temporary sort of bliss with lines like, “All I have is borrowed/My skin and my bones/All I have is borrowed/But I wear these summer clothes…” In all, both songs set the tone for Summer House, one that revels in Eric Hehr and Dan Duszynski’s jangly guitar twists as well as Salpeter’s syrupy vocals.
For fans of The Hush Sound, it might be a shock to see Salpeter a bit more subdued on Summer House, but that shouldn’t scare them. While her keys don’t punctuate every single song, and her voice opts for coolness rather than sass, it’s impossible to say her talent has waned. Cuts like the slow moving night jazz of “Who Will I Be Tonight?” and the bouncy “Safe In L.A.” show that restraint can go a long way when creating with a group. Ultimately, that quality transforms Gold Motel into something more than just a side project for Salpeter.
It makes it into its own unique band rather than a vanity project.
While the sultry blues flourishes we’ve come to expect from Salpeter are non-existent on Summer House, that absence allows Gold Motel to create a different kind of atmosphere altogether. Where everyone had a part to play in their previous groups (Duszynski, Minx and Coldhouse coming from This Is Me Smiling and Hehr from The Yearbooks), Gold Motel seems a bit more collaborative with how they approach melody. It’s impossible to differentiate who wrote what on Summer House, resulting in songs that feel organic and immersive.
“Stealing The Moonlight” is a definite first half highlight, a product of Gold Motel rather than the work of separate musicians. The track begins with pristine acoustic slides while Duszynski and Salpeter’s fine wine voices pop up with, “Well I’ve been cheated/Dropped and turned away/I stopped believin’/There would be a day where you come around/Show me what I was missin’/Pull me from the lost & found/Help me get over my bitter nights…” From there, the track dips and dives with spunky surf guitar bravado and a driving sense of fun. Elsewhere, “The Cruel One” builds from Salpeter’s lilting keys into the whole band bashing out thick helpings of brightly colored power-pop, set against warm bass and soaring backing vocals.
Yet while it’s impressive to see a group sound so tight and spacious on a self-produced release, the real joy in Summer House is its lyrical intimacy.
It’s not all beach parties and beer on Summer House, a rarity for such a bright sounding album. Instead, Gold Motel seems to be thinking about what makes people leave, the struggles we share together, and how to approach change while holding on to what we love. Whether it’s “The Cruel One’s” take on a decaying relationship (I am your sinking stone/I'd rather be alone/Than drag you down and pick you up/Haven't you been through enough?) or “Don’t Send The Searchlight’s” hunger for preservation (“Always leave before tomorrow comes/All the greatest loves are the unfinished ones…”) Summer House comes across as revealing rather than topical.
All in all, the album’s honesty creates a connection with the audience in a way that most summer albums can’t.
This is because of the stories Gold Motel aims to tell, rather than the aesthetic they could exploit. The band ends up exploring something far more personal on Summer House, coming to a profound and reassuring conclusion on the album’s title track. Salpeter sings, “Some say love’s a burning building/Love’s a sinking ship/But I like the heat/I like the noise…” completely conscious that while the grass always seems greener somewhere else, people will ultimately make the same mistakes, no matter where they are.
In other words, a vacation isn’t necessarily about running away from yourself, but in creating something special with those you love. It’s about weathering the storm when you expect sunlight, drinking in the moonlight when you should call it a night, and driving into the sunset when you’re most unsure of what will happen next. And while Gold Motel don’t necessarily write about sunscreen and surfing, Summer House serves as a revitalizing summer vacation from their main bands, holding a special life all to itself.
Key Cuts: Perfect In My Mind, Steal The Moonlight, The Cruel One
Sounds Like: Aim & Ignite (fun.), So Sudden (The Hush Sound), Volume One (She & Him)
Click on the artwork to sample Summer House for yourself!
While the sultry blues flourishes we’ve come to expect from Salpeter are non-existent on Summer House, that absence allows Gold Motel to create a different kind of atmosphere altogether. Where everyone had a part to play in their previous groups (Duszynski, Minx and Coldhouse coming from This Is Me Smiling and Hehr from The Yearbooks), Gold Motel seems a bit more collaborative with how they approach melody. It’s impossible to differentiate who wrote what on Summer House, resulting in songs that feel organic and immersive.
“Stealing The Moonlight” is a definite first half highlight, a product of Gold Motel rather than the work of separate musicians. The track begins with pristine acoustic slides while Duszynski and Salpeter’s fine wine voices pop up with, “Well I’ve been cheated/Dropped and turned away/I stopped believin’/There would be a day where you come around/Show me what I was missin’/Pull me from the lost & found/Help me get over my bitter nights…” From there, the track dips and dives with spunky surf guitar bravado and a driving sense of fun. Elsewhere, “The Cruel One” builds from Salpeter’s lilting keys into the whole band bashing out thick helpings of brightly colored power-pop, set against warm bass and soaring backing vocals.
Yet while it’s impressive to see a group sound so tight and spacious on a self-produced release, the real joy in Summer House is its lyrical intimacy.
It’s not all beach parties and beer on Summer House, a rarity for such a bright sounding album. Instead, Gold Motel seems to be thinking about what makes people leave, the struggles we share together, and how to approach change while holding on to what we love. Whether it’s “The Cruel One’s” take on a decaying relationship (I am your sinking stone/I'd rather be alone/Than drag you down and pick you up/Haven't you been through enough?) or “Don’t Send The Searchlight’s” hunger for preservation (“Always leave before tomorrow comes/All the greatest loves are the unfinished ones…”) Summer House comes across as revealing rather than topical.
All in all, the album’s honesty creates a connection with the audience in a way that most summer albums can’t.
This is because of the stories Gold Motel aims to tell, rather than the aesthetic they could exploit. The band ends up exploring something far more personal on Summer House, coming to a profound and reassuring conclusion on the album’s title track. Salpeter sings, “Some say love’s a burning building/Love’s a sinking ship/But I like the heat/I like the noise…” completely conscious that while the grass always seems greener somewhere else, people will ultimately make the same mistakes, no matter where they are.
In other words, a vacation isn’t necessarily about running away from yourself, but in creating something special with those you love. It’s about weathering the storm when you expect sunlight, drinking in the moonlight when you should call it a night, and driving into the sunset when you’re most unsure of what will happen next. And while Gold Motel don’t necessarily write about sunscreen and surfing, Summer House serves as a revitalizing summer vacation from their main bands, holding a special life all to itself.
Key Cuts: Perfect In My Mind, Steal The Moonlight, The Cruel One
Sounds Like: Aim & Ignite (fun.), So Sudden (The Hush Sound), Volume One (She & Him)
Click on the artwork to sample Summer House for yourself!
3 comments:
Wonderful review! You summarized what this record is all about perfectly. I really love how Gold Motel created something that is upbeat and summery, but at the same time a bit lyrically sad. Like going on a trip and having the time of your life, all the while knowing the fun will eventually come to an end.
Thanks for your kind comment Frank! Good to know I'm on the same page with other Gold Motel fans.
Honestly, Summer House is a breath of fresh air compared to other records that mine that same summery feel. It's upbeat while operating with real emotional depth. I know people will always yell for more Hush Sound (Myself included), but Gold Motel really created something special.
And that's a quality that will only become more apparent over time.
Definitely!
I am only somewhat familiar with the final Hush Sound record so I didn't go into Gold Motel with many expectations, and loved it. I will have to check out more Hush Sound stuff now. What's your favorite of theirs?
Oh, and in case you are interested I did a Q&A with Greta recently for my site. Here it is:
http://www.windycityrock.net/2010/05/q-greta-morgan-of-gold-motel.html
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