Crooked Spires - Crooked Spires (Album Review)
Crooked Spires describes themselves as “a West Michigan based psych-rock with soul trio that blends alternative, roots, and garage influences, [and] boasts original songwriting ranging from sweet and soulful to driving and dirty, punctuated with moments of ethereal respite in between. Crooked Spires makes a strong case for stylistic whiplash with evocative, lyrical narratives and biting guitar hooks.” (Bandcamp) I first heard this band on a shared house show bill at the band’s multi-purpose living space, Theopolis. This is where bands play house shows in the Holland area, it’s where groups like Crooked Spires can track their next records, and it’s where core members Christian Nikkel and Thom Vander Velden currently live. Hearing their blend of laid back psychedelic sounds and distorted, driving rock riffs provided a great listening experience for their set, and it got me interested in their upcoming release. Christian then donated to Bernie Sanders back in March during a day where I was offering recording time as an incentive, so I got a sneak peak on to one track from the album at Third Coast Recording Company. I’m glad to now dive in and check out their recently released debut!
Right away, the album sinks into a sea of reverb and delay with “Scribal,” a cool, refreshing drink of psychedelic rock. Then, “Can’t Stand It” rips through some blues-laden riffing and kicks up the distortion, showcasing in two tracks some of the highs and lows to expect on the record. “Speck of Dust” continues the rock vibe before dipping low into “Know the Difference,” a relaxed number washed in some textures that includes some swirling Rhodes tracks that I recorded. “Buzzsaw Blitz” kicks up the energy to really feature the trio in an exposed environment, locking into some guitar lines that are reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s vocabulary. “Ram Vamp” continues the live feel of the trio while including a drum feature, and “Try” cools things down with some more welcome soundscapes. “High Tides” grooves around the now staple pairing on the album of “guitar accenting vocal lines” right before the final splash of color, a tune called “The Answer” that features the expert string players Jordan Hamilton (solo/Earthwork Music artist, Last Gasp Collective) and Josh Holcomb (Dede and The Dreamers).
This is a great introduction to this band if you haven’t already heard them in West Michigan. There’s a blend of relaxing, deep space sonic textures and driving rock that will keep you energized throughout the experience. The attention to little details within the textures keeps things from going stale, and the group’s ability to shift moods is also wonderful. Also, props for keeping this album mainly self-produced, with the helpful mixing ears from some other friends in the scene. Congrats to the band for their first release!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crookedspiresmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crookedspires/
Bandcamp: https://www.facebook.com/crookedspiresmusic
Album Credits:
Guitar/Vox/Lyrics - Christian Nikkel
Drums - Thom Vander Velden
Bass - Nick Schultz (tracks 2,3,4,5,7,8)
Bass - Micah Stilwell (tracks 1,6,9)
Cello - Jordan Hamilton (track 9)
Viola - Josh Holcomb (track 9)
Rhodes - Dutcher Snedeker (track 4)
Album art - Jonny Kleyn
Tracked + Mixed - Christian Nikkel
Mastered - Adam Schreiber (Jack & The Bear)
Special Thanks:
xtra sets of mixing ears - Ben Oegema, Jonny Kleyn, A.J. Brann, Kevin Kozel
To anyone we’ve ever enjoyed music together with, played a house show with, friends bands and projects we’ve been able to perform alongside, venues we’ve been able to play so far, and all around support to mom for love and support, to Theo cat for big snugs, to Austin Kane for the computer this was mixed on plus additional data rescue, Karl V for cymbals, and to Park Theatre for support and community throughout the years (Bandcamp)
