PureVolume

Do brothers make bands better?
The Beach Boys? Sure. Oasis? Wellll…
No matter the verdict, in the case of Minneapolis’ Story of the Sea, whatever patented sibling telekinesis a quartet can benefit from, the Prince brothers have it in spades.

Bandmates since childhood, Singer/Guitarist/Frontman Adam Prince and kid brother/drummer Ian Prince grew up in a musical family in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A grown-up move to the Twin Cities and various stints in well-known local bands (Manplanet and Houston) eventually led them back to what they know best: each other. They began Story of the Sea as a guitar and drums two-piece, initially noted for Ian’s famous airtight skills on the kit. The brothers then added stand-out bass talent Jon McEwen from Align to record their first LP, and more recently brought in second guitarist Damon Kalar to complete the band.

Lunar Co. is a darker, richer collection of songs than the group’s lauded debut effort Enjoying Fire. No sophomore slump, it’s smartly mixed by J. Robbins, complete with donated tambourine and satisfying, feel-good handclaps over “Own Device”’s plinky coda. The new line-up adds more depth and texture, as expected; a more melodic resonance including some terrific 70’s three-part vocal harmonies and keyboards. The new songs jump around the dial like a best-of mixtape. Adam adeptly directs his band from jagged and urgent (“I’d Like to Meet You”), out through chimey choruses (“Downtown”, “Short Rocker“), and back around to isolated, lush ballads (“Sway”, “Royal Blue”).

So who do they sound like? No one else specifically, really. Refreshingly.
They’ve been referred to as “genre-hopping” which is true enough, I suppose. There are shades of Jawbox’s trademark onslaught and the similar stage power of frequent bill-mates The Life and Times. But there’s also The National’s remote, murky lyrics, and Nada Surf’s soft shimmer, even a Strokes-esque bounce here and there. Their sound is more an amalgamation of their vast personal influences than a pinpointed pre-existing one. At times propulsive and anthemic, perfecting the tension and release of great 90’s rock. Other times studded with bouncy Cure-like keyboards or a winning Squeeze cover. Chewy pop nuggets to soothe even the most jaded indie critic.

In different hands, for example, a favorite SOTS live staple “Pipe Dreams“ (as yet unrecorded) might have been a simpler emo crescendo (with its windmill-worthy brwaaaang! chords), but its unexpected doo-wop undercurrent sweeps you away, begging the question: are you a badass enough hipster to shoop like a Pip in a rock club?

And that, it seems, then, is their trademark – the sparkle and magic of two songs in one. A bargain at any price. At heart they’re a capital-R rock band; further blessed with shiny pop refinement, subtle soul roots and grooves, and geeky music-store talent. And at their best, they’re a capital-L live band. Ian’s knack for crafting perfect setlists makes for a brawny rumble of a show: each one different from the next, crowd-winning all.



Story of the Sea’s 2nd full-length release Lunar Co. will be out late 2008 with a tour to follow.