By Mike Faloon
Last summer Black Wine released their second album, Summer of Indifference. I listened to it a lot and kept a journal. It’s part of a zine called Learning to Surf. Here is day two.
There are nine songs on Summer of Indifference. Three written by Jeff Schroeck (guitar, vocals), three by J Nixon (bass, vocals) and three by Miranda Taylor (drums, vocals). The balance seems intentional.
There are considerable risks in putting out a record where three or more songwriters contribute relatively equally. Most bands who tread this path either release an album that sinks them (Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Mardi Gras) or should have (Emerson, Lake, and Palmer’s Works).[1] Once in a while this approach helps a band strike gold but for every Rumors you get a Tusk. Democracy is a dicey proposition for bands.
I listened to Summer of Indifference once more today. I’m still slightly leery of the stomp > pop imbalance, yet it’s getting better with each spin.
[1] I’m not including bands like Superchunk, R.E.M. or Van Halen that split songwriting credits evenly among each of the band members.
From Learning to Surf, a one-shot music zine by Mike Faloon.
Read past installments of We Should Talk More – Ten Days with the Black Wine’s Summer of Indifference.
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