Music Row: Creeping Weeds grow on you
By Brian Rademaekers
Anyone who has spent a season toiling in a garden can attest to this indisputable fact: Weeds never really go away. Short of dropping some Agent Orange on the patch, weeds always find a way to come back.
Perhaps the same can be said for the Creeping Weeds, a Philly five-piece that first snaked their way onto the local music scene a half decade ago, but have been largely silent since that debut.
The Creeping Weeds are back with See Through, their first new album in four years. The batch of songs was officially released Feb. 8, and has been streaming for free on the band's Web site at www.creepingweeds.bandcamp.com.
Despite having just an EP and the 2007 release, We Are All Part of a Dream You're Having, the band's presence has remained strong on the Philly scene, and there is a sense of excitement hanging around the Feb. 12 album-release show for See Through.
Chief songwriter Pete Stewart, who also handles lead vocals and guitar for the band, said he and the others were glad to see that they hadn't been forgotten during the down time.
While all five members live in the Fishtown area and have witnessed the neighborhood's transformation into a hotbed for artists over the last few years, it wasn't work with other bands that prevented a more timely Creeping Weeds release.
Blame it on that great enemy of rock 'n' roll, marriage.
Besides Stewart, whose wife Cara has graduated from a didgeridoo credit in 2007 to keys, percussion and backing vocals these days, another band member also got hitched a few years back.
Those distractions and a year-and-half hiatus from live gigs contributed to the dry spell, but it seems as though the hook-heavy charm of We Are All Part of a Dream You're Having left enough of an impression on local fans to keep the good memories alive.
In an age when there seems to be no end to new bands and new releases, and one sensation gives way to the next in a flurry of ephemeral blog posts, that longevity is certainly impressive.
"We were all pretty excited that there was still some buzz . . . it was really a long time," Stewart said of the upcoming show at Johnny Brenda's. "We just really took our time recording the album."
While that pause between recordings posed some challenges, it also allowed for plenty of layering that adds a nuanced complexity to the songs that is neither overbearing nor distracting.
"We spent a lot of time adding to the details that I hope people notice," said Stewart.
One challenge was that because no one in the band
had practiced the songs for See Through during the earlier live shows - a common practice for many bands working on new material - Stewart had to spend more time translating the new pieces from what he heard in his mind to something his friends could execute.
Stewart said the new release is "a bit more focused" than We Are All Part of a Dream You're Having. Even if there are fluctuating moods on See Through, he sees more cohesion among the songs compared to the more eclectic 2007 release. "There is a little bit of a variety to the style, but I think we've developed more of signature sound almost," Stewart said.
The first track, Fountain, breaks the ice with weirdly syncopated guitar and gentle percussion, creating a peculiar sensation that pairs dreamily with hushed vocals. All this eventually gives way to a fuller, more rocking interlude that briefly fills the song with shimmering sound before returning to the same vibe that started the number.
At just under the two-minute mark, Fountain is somewhat typical of the tracks on See Through: it's pithy psychedelic pop that lures you in with a hazy set of hooks, leaving you smiling at the loveliness, even if the Beatles-esque beauty of it all comes and goes all too quickly.
Indeed, only two songs on the 11-track release break the five-minute barrier, but the Creeping Weeds are masters of succinct songwriting, an art just as admirable as stretching a riff over 10 minutes.
One of those five-minute numbers, Waltz and 1/2, is a gorgeous bit of indie rock, one boasting layers of rich sound and some finely plucked acoustic strings that carry the ethereal vocals.
The band has been busy shaking off the rust, practicing the material for live shows and even booking a sizable tour for the spring.
"A lot of these songs, it's the first time we've played them live, so it's exciting," said Stewart.
Who: Creeping Weeds, Cheers Elephant, Hong Kong Stingray
What: Album-release party for a local favorite
Where: Johnny Brenda's, Frankford and Girard avenues
When: Saturday, Feb. 12, at 9 p.m.