Review: The Poets Down Here - The Indigo Sessions

Diverse Influences Drive Band's Sound

Review by Chris Weaver.

Published: Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Poets Down Here

Poets Down Here album

Finding a common thread on The Indigo Sessions, a self-released record from Kansas City’s The Poets Down Here, is a daunting task. There are a lot of interesting things at work on the album, from lead singer Emma Jo’s bluesy set of pipes, to the screeching metallic guitar riffs, to the groove-infested drums and bass. The band will be performing their self-described brand of “progressive alternative” music this Saturday in a battle of the bands at Aftershock in Shawnee, with the hopes of finding a diversified enough ear to appreciate the many voices involved in making their debut release.

The dichotomy of influence is easily heard on the opening track, “Indigo.” In many ways the song is a blues-based rock and roll number. It kicks in with a straight-forward beat, but is underscored with some flashy guitar work that harkens back to an Eighties style of heavy metal. The technically taught fretwork sounds misplaced until the bridge, where the metal motif is revisited.

The band, which has been playing together for a little over two years, has a logical explanation for the miscellany in their sound. “I’ve always been heavily influenced by Bruce Springsteen,” Emma Jo said. “But our bass player is really into bands like Duran Duran, and our drummer is into more groovy rock like Led Zeppelin, and our guitarist is really influenced by bands like AC/DC.”

With all of those chefs in the kitchen, the songwriting can only be collaborative. “We’re like Pearl Jam,” Emma Jo, the band’s sole lyricist said. “Any one of us could write a hit song at any moment.”

If there is a hit song on the record, “Crowded” may be it according to Emma Jo. “It’s the song that seems to get everyone going.”

Poets Down Here - Crowded

The song opens like a hip R&B number, complete with effect-laden vocals and a catchy bass line, but descends from time to time into a much harsher sound before reconnecting to the earlier vibe. The bifurcated style is echoed in the paradoxical lyrics of the chorus: “I’m standing / standing all alone in a crowded room.”

For the most part, the album, which was recorded at Moon Pie Studios by Gary Gray, is very driven and aggressive. There are very few lulls in the action, and Emma Jo has a penchant for penning songs that alternate between very verbose verses and slower choruses where she can open up the vocals a little more. There is a classic ballad in the bunch, “Crazy Without You.” As you can imagine from the title, the song lands on the repeating thesis of the record, the longing for unrequited love.

There is no shortage of talent compiled for The Indigo Sessions. It is clear that this quartet of high school friends (Emma Jo and bassist Garret Cox were actually in the same kindergarten class together) is apt and skilled at what they do. Maybe cohesion is overrated in a post-modern musical landscape, in which case, The Indigo Sessions is a promising jumping off point for The Poets Down Here.

Chris Weaver is the co-owner and executive producer at Bear House, a film production company, and he is very optimistic that Zack Greinke will win this year’s Cy Young award.