REVIEW: Nashville’s Secondhand Sound Are A Reminder That The Future Of Rock Is In Good Hands On Their Phenomenal Debut Album
Nashville-based alt-rock quartet Secondhand Sound originally formed in Urbana, Maryland after lead vocalist/guitarist Sawyer John Estok and schoolmate/best friend/drummer Colin Plank began writing songs in their parents’ basements. After agreeing they would give college a try for at least a year, Estok and Plank headed to Nashville, eventually making friends with bassist Teagan Proctor and guitarist/keyboard player Cam Schmidt during a night of Mario Kart in their dorm hall. The new pair were their own set of lifelong friends, so coming together as a quartet was a quick transition and Secondhand Sound was formed.
Since then, the four-piece released two EPs: 2019’s Words To Make You Stay and last year’s Burnout, something made possible after ditching their college studies and doubling down on their dream with empty pockets and support from their friends and family. By the end of 2020, all four members had ditched their respective school plans and set their sights on a debut full-length: the result is the phenomenal Best & Worst Of Times, out now via Sound Division Records.
Through anthemic hooks, fuzzy garage-rock riffs, and an irresistible youthful energy, Secondhand Sound craft songs that are well beyond their years, in line with acts such as The Districts (a band also formed by high school friends to reach critical acclaim), Born Ruffians, and Pinegrove. Secondhand Sound is a mirror to the homegrown success of Philadelphia’s The Districts, and Best & Worst of Times will surely be a memorable timestamp on the career and lives of Secondhand Sound, just as A Flourish And A Spoil has done for The Districts.
Despite his east coast upbringing, Estok’s voice carries a windful southern howl that carries a weight of melancholy with a feisty rock n’ roll punch throughout the record, while the band switch between charismatic house-concert hits to more introspective tunes. Stand out singles “Dominoes”, “Knievel”, “Armchair Quarterbacks”, and the triumphant closer “Chesapeake” introduced an array of new followers to their rich Nashville sound, and the remainder of the record carries the torch stupendously. “Stevie” and “Twenty Something” are surprise album favourites, as they show their softer side with a rich coat of empathy and soulful rock n’ roll.
From within the mature yet vibrant style the band have managed to master early on in their career, Secondhand Sound let their early 20’s be the spark of inspiration on some of their biggest hits – including the aforementioned “Dominoes”, a song about driving around town with your crush and the excitement of a flourishing start to a relationship, matched close behind by the joyride anthem “Knievel”, and the adventurous “Chesapeake”; The coming-of-age trope of escaping your hometown and its drama provides a narrative for thumping single “Armchair Quarterbacks” and slow-burning single “Stevie”; Figuring yourself out between your past and future on “McPherson St.”, “Bandit Mutt Accent”, and the lockdown anthem “Twenty Something”. All of which are drenched with a timeless sense of confidence and spirited musicality.
Naturally, Best & Worst of Times lives up to its name, capturing the confusion of starting a new decade in one’s life in a world that is seemingly filled with flaws and hyper-fixated on finding joy.
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