The Not-Pop Jukebox

“You think it's a clarion call but it's only semaphore.”

I was thrilled this morning to receive my first direct review request from an artist, but worried that I would hate the album. Happily, Andrew Keese & The Associates soon allayed my fears with some solid indie rock and smart lyrics. I knew things were going to all right when I found myself bopping my head to Transmission while I was reading the blog on their web site.

After that, and the quote above from Blessed Are the Meek, I knew that I could give these folks a positive review. Andrew Keese & The Associates not only have classic indie chops, with the occasional burst of well-played piano and intricate lyrical concepts, but they remind me of the guys I hung around with that had relatively successful bands in college – you know, the ones that recorded one CD that wasn't the cleanest sound, but you were instantly comfortable with the voice and the songs.

If you want comparisons, I'd go back to that era and combine The Cure, The Connells, and add a dash each of Depeche Mode and Joshua-Tree-era U2. Mr. Keese and his Associates also remind me of a band I once knew called Melodious Thunk. I know, I'm reaching back into the 80s, but that's how familiar they sounded to me. I could have sworn that The Burden of Proof was a song that I'd heard before. If you can get the artist so well that you can anticipate lyrics, they're a good match for you. The album mellows out as it goes along, but all of the songs are at least pretty, if not toe-tapping, and the lyrics keep your interest.

Here are the details: download their debut album, “Desire”, released November 1st, from their web site for free, but if you want the album art, the 16-page booklet, and the high-quality tracks you'll have to pay for the songs or get the CD. You can do all of this from the Andrew Keese and The Associates web site. Oh, and they're Australian.