The Saturday Sound — Week 11
The Radio Dept. — Lesser Matters
By Gavin Dransfield
From the late 1990’s through the early 2000’s, indie music had one of its most distinct and influential phases to date. Independent artists were starting to finally make a mark on the world with unique, subversive aesthetics and genre-defining releases that paved the way for a whole new movement of music; a movement which spanned both the spectrum of musical technique and the globe. While I could gas on for hours about the host of musicians from this time period that I hold dear, I’d instead like to spotlight a particular band which I discovered no more than a few weeks ago, and an album which all but epitomizes the sound of the early 2000’s.
Hailing from Sweden, the duo known as The Radio Dept. has so much to offer on their 2003 debut, Lesser Matters. The entire formula for an exceptional indie pop record is here; fast, exciting songs mingled with slow, introspective ballads, all featuring an equal blend of overdriven guitars and eclectic synthesizers, drums both acoustic and electronic, and vocals passed through reverberating and stereo-distorting filters that range from gentle whispers to strained whines. Like all good bands, The Radio Dept. isn’t trying to sound pretty and clean-cut; they’re simply being themselves.
The opening track alone will get my point across. “Too Soon” opens with spacey synth bleeps and lead vocalist Johan Duncanson singing in a distant, melancholy echo:
“You will have us figured out soon / Too soon / You will have to leave / For a new love / A new love somewhere else.”
Amid the somewhat gloomy lyrics, however, is a strange sense of eagerness. It’s not a sad song in the slightest, but rather a gentle and encouraging entrance into a dreamy atmosphere that builds and explodes with the transition into the second track, “Where Damage Isn’t Already Done.” Suddenly, you’re nodding along to a fun, speedy groove led by a cheerful, distorted guitar, and it’s near impossible not to smile at the sheer lightheartedness of it.
These high spirits continue on through the next few tracks, which take on yet more nuanced forms. “Keen on Boys,” with its swinging beat, easygoing bassline, immersive synthesizers, and, again, those dreamlike vocals, sounds like a song ripped straight from a Beach House album. “Why Won’t You Talk About It” may make you want to run a mile, and “It’s Been Eight Years” might make you want to drive several more. Each song retains its uplifting spirit while evoking a different setting.
It’s at this point in the album that things slow down, and the next three tracks are easily my favorites. “Bus” will appease any fan of Elliott Smith with its soft-spoken acoustic guitar and a more melancholy vocal track. “Slottet #2” is a soothing instrumental interlude built on top of a vintage drum machine and a gorgeous synthesizer melody. Then there’s “1995,” which, funnily enough, sounds like it could’ve been directly inspired by Smashing Pumpkins’ infamous “1979.” And just like “1979,” it’s a sugary and nostalgic meditation on the good times of a past year:
“1995 is missing buses / It’s walking fifteen miles to see your love / It’s knowing you’re alive through all the fuzz / It’s never coming down from going up.”
The final stretch of the album features, among others, the memorable ballads “Strange Things Will Happen” and “Your Father.” The former is tranquil and introspective:
“Today I didn’t even try to hide / I’ll stay here and never push things to the side / You can’t reach me ‘cause I’m way beyond you today.”
And the latter is a slow, Death Cab For Cutie-esque heartbreak song:
“We were only kids when we first laid eyes on each other / Everything was great but you should’ve warned me about your father.”
The album wraps up much in the same way it began, with an eclectic, downtempo atmosphere entitled “Lost and Found.” It’s a fitting end to an outright satisfying album.
Lesser Matters is immensely, almost pretentiously indie, which is both why it’s amazing and why it’s relatively under the radar. It’s not the most radio-suited music (ironic, given the band’s name), but it is suited beautifully for a chilly autumn day and a nostalgic look back at the early years of the 21st century. It will bring back memories regardless of how acquainted you are, or were, with this sort of music; it’s that specific early 2000’s sound that simply isn’t and never will be adequately replicated by modern artists. And that’s why it’s a treasure.
Stream the album:
