Tag: Depeche Mode

Construction Time Again — Crossword Smiles Build a New Album, “Consequences & Detours,” Out of Grief and Goodbyes

Tom Curless and Chip Saam of Crossword Smiles. Photo by Madeline Curless.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

Tom Curless and Chip Saam anticipate life’s twists and turns and adjust their plans and perspectives accordingly on Consequences & Detours, the new album by their band, Crossword Smiles.

“At this point in our lives, we start to have a different perspective on life,” said Curless, who lives south of Flint in the town of Grand Blanc.

“You start to see things a little higher at a 30,000-foot view. I’ve lost people, I’ve lost my parents, and all of a sudden, you say, ‘Wow, life seems a little bit different now.’”

That wise perspective permeates Crossword Smiles’ songwriting on its sophomore release, which features 11 tracks about anticipation, disappointment, and discovery.

“I don’t think you can get away from it,” said Saam, who previously lived in Dexter and now resides in the West Michigan town of Dimondale. “If you’re making music and writing songs, some of your life is going to seep into it. There are some specific references to things like in ‘Typical Waving Goodbye.’ I lost a buddy … and I didn’t know when I was saying goodbye to him that I was saying goodbye for good.”

Those relatable experiences on Consequences & Detours quickly connect with listeners, thanks to the duo’s memorable lyrics, infectious harmonies, vivid electric guitars, and melodic instrumentation.

“We really both contributed a lot of things to each song,” said Saam, also a University of Michigan alumnus and host of the internet show Indie Pop Takeout. “It was very fulfilling for me as a musician.”

The musicianship extends to the arrangements, too, which feature violin, mandolin, trumpet, and accordion to augment the core of guitar, bass, and drums.

“We purposely went after different sonic touches on every song if we could,” Curless said.

I recently spoke with Curless and Sam about the album ahead of a May 31 show at Trinity House Theatre in Livonia.

Continue reading “Construction Time Again — Crossword Smiles Build a New Album, “Consequences & Detours,” Out of Grief and Goodbyes” →

Favorite Worst Enemy – Grass Bat Tackles Inner Demons on Latest Synth Pop Single

Grass Bat’s Noel Herbert has released three synth pop singles in 2019.

For Grass Bat, the biggest victory includes defeating the powerful Demogorgon lingering within his own version of the Upside Down.

The Los Angeles synth pop singer-songwriter obliterates his inner demons on his latest infectious ‘80s-inspired single, “Favorite Worst Enemy,” or “FWE,” which dropped Oct. 25.

The track features soaring synths mixed with echoey vocals as Grass Bat prepares for an epic 3.5-minute battle of the mind – “It’s rushing through my blood like you’re my only friend/My heart’s beating fast like you’re the only one/You’re the only one/I know you’re my favorite worst enemy.”

“I felt like I was holding on to these demons, and I was dealing with depression. It’s a lot of what I’m talking about in the song, and I don’t know if I knew that upon writing it,” said Noel Herbert, aka Grass Bat. “After listening to it and realizing this is what was going on in my head at the time, I was holding on to things I should be able to let go. The only times I felt free from it was going out and dancing and getting my head out of the negative space.”

Influenced by Detroit techno and new wave, synth pop icons The Cure and Depeche Mode, “Favorite Worst Enemy” serves as a cathartic mechanism for tackling personal struggles and eliminating the stigma of mental health.

“This is something I haven’t been talking about. I haven’t been open until very recently. I’m going through avenues like therapy, and I just want people to know this is a normal thing,” said Herbert, who relocated to Los Angeles last year after growing up in metro Detroit. “It’s super important that I feel like I let not just my audience know, but as many people as possible who are dealing with this kind of stuff.”

Continue reading “Favorite Worst Enemy – Grass Bat Tackles Inner Demons on Latest Synth Pop Single” →