I hadn’t heard of Local Weatherman when their new EP Right One landed in my inbox. But when I opened up the email to see that it was produced by Zack Robbins (Superheaven, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE) and Ian Farmer (Modern Baseball, Slaughter Beach, Dog), I knew it could be something to trust. A refreshing mesh of influences, from modern to classics, Right One hits the mark on somehow sounding timeless and fresh all at one.
On the leadoff song “Thread,” I quickly picked up on their polished approach to catchy punk. Reminiscent of other modern powerhouses like The Menzingers or Joyce Manor, “Thread” is an instant headbanger with a memorable riff followed by vocalist Fritz Ortman shouting over a more muted first verse. It isn’t until the second verse when you start to hear some layers to their sound. It almost shifts into a Tigers Jaw song that feels a bit hesitant and soft before ending with a grungy exclamation, “I JUST WANNA ROCK!” Having now spent some time with Local Weatherman’s work, I plan to leverage “Thread” as my go-to recommendation for new listeners. It is the perfect snapshot of where this band can take you. A well-executed track that presents and flexes the boundaries with which they play in.
That Tigers Jaw, indie rock type influence carries into the next track on the EP, “The Hole.” The thing I love most about this song is how they play around with tones throughout the whole thing. The guitar shifts from muted and clean to open and a bit fuzzy. The vocals mirror this as well and, while David Murray’s bass doesn’t seem to change much in tone, it does get moments of isolation or noticeable silhouettes that really give the track depth. This song is layered in a great indie rock kind of way whereas “Out of the Vein” is layered a bit more in a pop punk / pop emo kind of way a la a saturdays at your place song. And I’ll pause here to make this official statement: a Local Weatherman / saturdays at your place tour would absolutely rip. Someone make that happen.
The centerpiece of Right One, “Weighing,” may seem like an outlier being the only track with guitarist Ford Murphy as the main vocalist. However, I’d argue this song is just as cohesive as the rest of them. Leaning a bit more into the 90s alt influence (and Murphy sounding strangely similar to David Bazan), “Weighing” has a floaty pre-chorus and a grungy but catchy chorus that just feels like a great Third Eye Blind song. To relate this one to a more modern band, it really reminds me of Slow Joy. Honestly, another good choice for a touring partner. Someone make it happen.
Right One closes with the title track that really turns up the Joyce Manor influence again. It’s catchy, it’s angsty, it’s another headbanger. “Right One” also features a great guitar solo towards the end that, once again, brings back that 90s alt sound. And I just think that is such a fun mix to play with.
There really isn’t a bad song on this EP and I’m glad it’s the first one I got to review this year. Right One has a little bit of something for everyone and really welcomes repeat listens. It’s out now everywhere so go give it a spin!
The Indy Review 