Album Review: Quiet People

Quiet People
Symptoms of a Steady Mind
★★★

The 2010 release from do-it-yourself-ers Quiet People is a rough fistful of glitter and epic bedroom-studio brawn. Siblings John, Joy, and Luke Cyr cast a fishing net back to the early days of 80’s UK punk-pop, and drag it forward to modern-day influence with a spit-polished production and youthful irreverence. Symptoms of a Steady Mind is a half-dozen tracks of shoegazer tempo-twists, saturated telecaster and brazen lo-tech synth (imagine a hybrid of Dan Deacon vs The Sundays hailing from Athens, GA).

Joy’s vocal style presents the lyrics with a somewhat dry affect; a smooth delivery of words that carry notes more than messages. However, like butter on brown toast, it’s the right ingredient. The overall impact of the trio’s musicianship on this EP is thoroughly engaging -- It’s equal parts melodic, brash, and playful. With Symptoms of a Steady Mind, Quiet People offer a sour-apple candy with a little carpet fuzz stuck to it: imperfect but sweet.

Standout Tracks:

1. “Quiet People” - An exciting, up-tempo collage of the bands’ ‘essential’ ingredients. An especially good grip on the steering wheel here.

2. “The Storm” - A poem laid on a hammock of acoustic guitar strings. You can almost hear the pages of the composition book being turned, were it not for the rain. 

3. “Perfecting the Ability of Being Someone Else” - a wonderful, closing-credits anthem to an imaginary indie film. 

Stream album via Bandcamp online