Is it a greater challenge to write a song that’s unique and innovative or one that is familiar but still manages to carry a creative and emotional resonance? That’s a question I’ve long debated, and one which Well Kept bring to the surface on their new single “Oh, Charise.” One could argue there’s little here rock and alternative fans haven’t been inundated with since the early ’90s. Grungy guitars. Tension-release dynamics. That unmistakable air of apathy and exasperation. But the beauty of the track is that it feels neither redundant nor stuck in time.
Sure, it’s possible to imagine the song on heavy rotation at 99X back in the day. Within it variegated grooves you can hear shades of everything from Pavement and Weezer to Everclear and Semisonic. But there’s also a freshness to bandleader Tommy Trautwein’s songwriting—something singular and uniquely his. Outwardly, “Oh, Charise” may feel disgruntled, simmering in slacker discontent. But listen closer and you’ll find tinges of regret and genuine vulnerability bubbling beneath the surface.
Similar things can be said about the song’s structure and pacing. It’s an undeniable earworm of a single, brimming with gnarled riffs and radio-ready hooks. And yet, its greatest strength lies in its many subtleties—in the way its layers build upon each other, overlap, and intersect. The song may lean into comfortable, well-worn sounds, but not without weaving in its own quirky details and sense of triumphant catharsis. For that, Trautwein thanks his backing band, who helped flush “Oh, Charise” out of the shadows and bring it to form.
“‘Oh, Charise’ is a strange little tune I wrote on an acoustic guitar one evening about the feeling of being on a different page with someone you care about,” Trautwein says over email. “I wasn’t sure if this song would ever see the light of day until I brought it to my friends who perform live and record for Well Kept—Elijah Johnston (bass), Chase Garrett (guitar), and Hampton Peay (drums)—and together we shaped it into one of our very favorites. This song reminds me of how fun creating music with the people you love can be and what can come from it.”
Listen below.
Well Kept will perform on Thu., Dec. 12 at Caledonia Lounge alongside Nordista Freeze and Crybaby. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $8 for 21+ or $10 for 18-20. 18+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: wellkeptmusic.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @wellkeptmusic
SoundCloud: @wellkeptmusic