Photo by JT Sumner
The flood was a death sentence for many Nashville bands in the process of recording, and was almost the case for We Were the States. Two feet of water in Coat of Arms studio wrecked the progress of an album that was two years in the making, but after some quick recording sessions at Club Roar, the band finally released Rasa last month. The 12-track LP is a blatant step up from their first album with more complex arrangements and instrumentation and a sound that has generally matured. In their sophomore album, We Were the States prove themselves as riff enthusiasts and percussion connoisseurs as guitarists Benjamin Moore and J Stoyanov and drummer Tyler Coppage experiment with their instruments.
Intense, percussive pounding counters grandiose melodies driven by riffs that range from gritty and fast to spacey and meandering. The scratchy, persistent melodia of the first single “Gold” is cut with the harsh, acidic vocals of Justin Webb, and the album grows more ambitious as it progresses. Amidst the drill of crunchy guitars, a tambourine timidly jingles over a hollow drum beat in “Daft Since 77.” “I’m Not My 808” is a revving, minute-long blurb followed by angry, abrupt riffs in “Don’t Ask Why.” Things slow down in songs like “Paris Green” and “Hot Waves,” whose full, lulling chords are almost reminiscent of Pinback and Radiohead (Kid A).
It’s fortunate that We Were the States persevered with Rasa as it simultaneously displays the finesse of a maturing band and runs the gamut of influences including traces of punk, ’70s and ’80s rock and ’90s garage while still remaining cohesive. – Jessica Pace