In a scene as inclusive, friendly, and inherently collaborative as Athens’, you’re bound to get a few “supergroups.” Often it’s hard to not fall into an unfounded optimism of a band’s prospects based solely on the lineup alone, and this only rings truer when we talk about PURSES. The sextet boasts impressive credentials, featuring members from Athens stalwarts like the District Attorneys, Tedo Stone, Party Dolls, Grand Vapids, Ruby the Rabbitfoot, Blue Blood, Gift Horse, and Crooked Fingers.
The band’s debut full-length finds them toeing the line between indie pop and the kind of gritty gutter rock the Classic City has been churning out as of late. If that gives off the impression that these guys aren’t doing anything original, it shouldn’t. The group has somehow found a way to carve out a niche for themselves between some heavily saturated genres.
Drew Beskin (The District Attorneys, Party Dolls) plays frontman for PURSES, finding the time outside of work to write songs and focus on his music. “It’s hard to find time to make records,” he tells me via email, “so I am fortunate enough to have the friends that I have who will help me knock an album out in about a week’s time.” To bring Obsess Much to his full realization, Beskin teamed up with Drew Vandenberg (The Whigs, Drive By Truckers, Deerhunter, Futurebirds) at Chase Park Transduction and completed the record over seven or eight sessions that were spread out over several weeks.
The album opens with “Hitchhiker,” a playfully robust track that careens into the more ethereal and expansive intro of “Clementine,” before the lead line joins in, bringing it back down to earth. Both songs were released as singles in the long run-up to the album, and they turned out to be strong indicators of the sound the group was crafting for Obsess Much.
PURSES leans into a similar sonic aesthetic as the now defunct District Attorneys, although the production on this record is dirtier and less polished than the DAs 2012 LP, Slowburner. It’s a little looser, less subtle, and more raw. Songs like “Melody Shine” and “Hannah’s Song” carry faint traces of alt-country twang, while “White Wire Handle” veers off into grimier territory with its distorted vocals and jangling wall-of-sound guitars.
There’s enough on these ten songs to give PURSES more than a bright future — just enough variety to keep it interesting, but enough uniformity to keep the group grounded in a defined style that serves the songwriting. Rich, luscious guitar tones abound on the album and Beskin’s vocals are melodic while retaining a pitchy lilt that captures the rawness and emotion of the songs.
If I had a criticism, it’d simply be that the vocals are too quiet and buried in the mix. Some of the lyrics fall away behind the guitars, which doesn’t leave as much room for the songwriting to shine. Regardless, I think that Obsess Much is one of the strongest records to come out of Athens this year and it makes for fun, easy listening that sticks with you.
Obsess Much is out today via Laser Brains.
More Info
Facebook: @PURSES-1691468021069829
SoundCloud: @pursesmusic