It’s been about four years since Creeping Weeds’ promising debut full-length, and from the sound of things, not that much has changed. The band still has a knack for chiseling out perfect, multi-layered pop songs along the lines of Elliot Smith or The Shins, and like those artists, they seem to feel most comfortable eschewing the lo-fi trend in favor of a quaint, yet crystal-clear production sound. If anything at all is different in their latest effort See Through, it’s that these songs have an added breeziness. They’re just a tad bit lighter, both in tone and instrumentation.
Opener “Fountain” starts off with a heady, drifting melody and finger-picked guitar only to surprise you with a sudden rumbling of distortion and propulsive drums. The washed-out licks in “Weekend at the Shore” become a reoccurring theme in the album, as well as the electronic shimmers in “Master Plan”. While “Sirens” has been floating around the internet for years now, it still remains one of the catchier numbers on the album. “(Wrapped in) Gauze” is somewhat of a standout with its different rhythmic approach and sun-kissed chorus. Same goes for “Vampires”, which benefits a lot from its gently oscillating guitar effect. The meditative picking and hushed vocal harmonies of “Hole in the Wall” wrap things up nicely, though perhaps not conclusively as expected.
Front to back, the album exudes plenty of charm and color, and it’s doubtful that any previous fans of Creeping Weeds would be disappointed. The songs here should work equally well on a summer evening as a winter one, and it’s nice to see a pop record these days that’s not the slightest bit ironic, but simply whimsical, hopeful, and just a little melancholy. You can stream and purchase See Through here.