Artist: Treasure State
Date Released:
Label: Woodson Lateral
Produced By:
Tracklisting:
- Arrivals/Departures
- Empire
- Today is Persistent
- A Study in Demographics
- The New Elysian Fields
- Let Us All Agree on This
- Summer of His Youth
- Contest Winners
- Mostpeople
Review:
It’s really should be a bad thing that Robert Mercer ripped off Tim Kinsella and really the whole city of Chicago so badly, but he just does it so well, it’s hard to be mad. Mercer, who has been part of Joel RL Phelps Downer Trio for the last 10 years and older brother of The Shin’s frontman James Mercer, sings like a smoother Kinsella (which can be good or bad depending on the way you look at it) and even plays the guitar in the same metallic and moody sense of Make Believe. I could even go into it further because the song structures and lyrics also seem to reflect Kinsella. Though created in Seattle the sound almost sounds like a distant relative of the electric Chicago Blues. Mercer does have one key advantage though, because his sound is more refined and slightly smoother (which by no means am I saying is better), he is much more accessible. If you need more proof, Treasure State has already shared the bill with the likes of The Shins, Spoon and Mates of State. So enjoy this album, but always keep in mind that certain Chicago collectives did it first. Mpardaiolo