Souvenir Driver plays Dante’s this Saturday, let’s take a minute and explore exactly why this is going to be a hell of a show. You may recognize these boys from projects like Soft Paws, Happy Prescriptions and Hawkeye, but Souvenir Driver has taken most of their efforts as of late, which is evident. The band identifies as post punk which certainly rings true in their first LP, Lifts the Curse. Lead singer, Nate Wey says the record was made in efforts “to lift our sadness, our obstacles, our darkness, in order to come to a place of bliss and understanding.” Upon listening, you realize that this album is a process – a cathartic journey from tumbles down jagged sonic valleys of tracks like “Futures” and “Philosophy” to the slow crystalline ascension of “Daylight is a Movie”. In preparation for their new LP, Living Water (self-released in April) the band has been leaking singles to their bandcamp page. “Kiss You Close” and “Feel the Flood” combine heavy bass with echo-heavy kick-snare and vocals like a sedated Joe Strummer to produce a slick, sinister new wave sound. In “Feel the Flood” Nate screams, “everybody hear the sound of your own blood.” This statement is beautifully indicative of a live set with these boys, producing a sound just as physical and visceral as the ringing in your ears afterwards. – Ted Jamison
