There's always been something about Chicago for me. I don't care about traveling to Europe, South America, Africa, even Canada. Something in traveling is completely lost on me. However, the great Illinois city of Chicago has always had a strong draw on me so great that I have at times said 'One of these days, I would like to move to Chicago.' How could a city have such a draw when I have not even actually been there? That, friends, is the question. I can only speculate that it may have something to do with the wealth of incredible music that emerges from this famed metropolis. Some of my all-time favorite groups (Owen, Joan of Arc, Chin Up Chin Up, Maritime) all hail from Chicago, but I must remember that not all of the midwestern greatness contained therein is limited to people who played in Cap'n Jazz.
One of the newest great groups to emerge from the Chicago bar scene is the Changes. The four-piece has recently released their debut album 'Today is Tonight' following their two self-released EPs via Drama Club in the US and Kitchenware in the UK. In 2005, they took the stage as Lollapalooza's only unsigned band only to find themselves with a label eager to release their LP very soon after. The resulting Chris Brickley-produced (R. Kelly, Wilco) affair is one of those rare pop recordings that makes me forget why I don't really like the Police, the reason being that the smooth guitar work and grooves can be accomplished without being so hit or miss. The Changes' bouncy reverb-soaked tracks seem effortless, which allows the record to be just as enjoyable in passing as it is with a careful, intentional listening. When I got a hold of this record and people started asking me about it (as it has lived in the stereo all week) some interesting opinions started to surface: 'It's like the Police without the reggae,' 'It's like I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness without all the foreboding doom,' 'It's like Tahiti 80 without the disco.' Now, while I agree with each of these descriptions, the Changes should be credited with making one of the easiest-to-like records in recent memory. They don't have any sort of polarizing quality: the Changes are not a love 'em or hate 'em kind of band. But that is not to say that they are not dynamic. Mark my words, these are some really really interesting tunes.
Can you dance? You certainly can. Will you dance? It depends. That's the beauty of 'Today is Tonight.' It can do what you want it to do. Can you work with it on in the background? Yes. Could you play it at your kickin' apartment dance party and not get yelled at by your jerk neighbors who have forgotten what it is to be young? Yes (and I recommend the standout 'Twilight'). Could you play it during dinner with guests wearing suits and be complimented on your musical choice? Yes. The Changes create melodies that are meticulous but not rigid, calculated but not overdeveloped. This is a band who will be creating interesting, engaging records for a long time to come.
Check out the links below and catch the Changes as they tour the east coast through the end of the month and early in November.
The Changes Links:
The Changes E-Card (Preview 'Today is Tonight')
The Changes free download of 'When I Wake' from 'Today is Tonight' via Insound
The Changes on NPR



