Track listing: Let Love Wait, God Knows, Let Me Die With A Smile On My Face, What I Said, Fade, Hold Fast
Drenched in reverb and synths the way Post-Modern Alternative was meant to be produced, Dallas-based Indie rockers The Simpletons reunite after an extended hiatus to record what may just be their best album yet: Let Love Wait. It's a 6-song EP with the title track already having been released. To hear the remainder of the record, go pre-save it now!
The sonic textures are familiar, evoking Smiths / Cure / Church vibes, shaped by the watchful eye of The Church's own guitarist Marty Willson-Piper. The production is rich and full-bodied with creative chord progressions and melodies that challenge the senses, unleashing our inner wistfulness for the impassioned bands of the late 80s through the mid 90s.
It's funny--I grew up in Austin, Texas in the 90s and shared many stages with bands that likely shared stages with The Simpletons up around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Hell, maybe I know them but foggy-minded beer-laden nights would have long washed away those memories. But their sound certainly points to some very specific times and clubs back in the day.
To be clear, The Simpletons wouldn't have been the 8pm band with no crowd. This crew is all-pro. Guitar tones are precise and purposeful. Drum fills are tasteful and serve a purpose. Vocal harmonies aren't all basic 5ths and 3rds. There's a refreshing musical intricacy throughout the EP that establishes The Simpletons' songwriting and arranging as anything but simple.
Despite the Smiths / Cure influence, there's an optimism in the sound. "Let Me Die With A Smile On My Face" builds into a gorgeous sing-a-long chorus a la The La's "There She Goes." But it's not remotely derivative--just some similar moments characteristic of a number of group spanning similar subgenres.
It's a solid record. Almost cute, but it lacks the triteness to be dubbed 'cute'. Now that The Simpletons have lived, gigged, recorded and then set the project aside for some years, their recent return to the scene (and throughout Let Love Wait in particular) is a mature grown-up version of the angsty teen alt-indie-pop that thrived in clubs back in the years just following their original break onto the North Texas music scene.