Listening to Will Bennett and the Tells gives me a warm feeling that I last felt in early July. I was at Audiofeed Festival in Illinois watching Flatfoot 56 close out the festival, and people of all ages were embracing the mud with young ‘uns circle-pit-ing and their parents standing the background genuinely clapping along – they weren’t just there for their kids, the older folks were having an authentic good time. Live authentic music, at the risk of sounding like an Instagram hashtag.
This is the effect that I suspect Will Bennett and the Tells are shooting for. Though their brand of music isn’t nearly as loud as Flatfoot’s, they certainly appeal to a wide demographic, and fulfill a niche within the Columbus scene that is as of yet relatively unpopulated. As far as I know, the band is the only one of their kind performing at this year’s Independent’s Day Festival.
Will Bennett and the Tells in many ways are a paint-by-numbers band for their genre, but that is perfectly acceptable if you choose the right shades to fill in those slots. A painting may call for blue in slots labeled “3”, but you can choose sky blue or navy blue (or anything in between to implement a desired effect). The same applies for this style of songwriting – you kinda know what to expect, but there are little nuances you can apply to really make the songs pack a punch. And that is the approach this band takes with writing the record, which I have to respect.
In an interesting bit of irony though, though the songwriting structures on this album feel very familiar (yet fun), I have a hard time pinning down a genre for this band. Americana, bluegrass and rock all come to mind although I wouldn’t pigeonhole them to any of those three.
All in all, Wichita is a fun record suitable for long drives through the country and outdoor festivals any time of year. Song standouts: “Maria, Maria”, “Jolene,” “Ann Arbor.”
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258227295″ /]
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