I woke up with a killer back ache this morning, so all I did was stay horizontal for awhile and listened to Treebends’ In The EP.
Hailing from Corpus Christi, Treebends make mellow music that’s spare and understated, perfect for laying back, not doing much, and thinking happy, simple thoughts. Described on their MySpace page as “a reprieve from evil,” and “an aural glance into a world where calm is just around the corner,” Treebends’ debut is an airy, low-fi record that’s somewhere between Boards of Canada, Flaming Lips, and Smashing Pumpkins at their most ethereal.
In The EP is a pleasant meandering from one aural landscape to another. Treebends mix soft, faraway-sounding vocals with simple melodies. The result is an easy listen. The cute track “The Sugar Queen” makes me think of the video for Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979”: the part with the guy sitting in a tractor tire being rolled across a big field. It induces the same awkward, cheesy feelings of unspecified nostalgia in me. “Misspelled…Again.” and “Fairway” also bring to mind the Smashing Pumpkins, but circa Siamese Dream and minus any Billy Corgan angst.
I don’t think Treebends know what angst is. They make music that’s distinctly un-tense. You could watch the sun rise and set to it. Corny corny, I know. Clocking in at barely 20 minutes, In The EP is short, but there’s always the Continuous Play button if you need more time.
Check Out:
“The Sugar Queen”