Photo via Hugh Twyman
Nik Westman & The Central Plains
tell stories through song. Like the best of the singer-songwriters,
Westman and his band put a personal face on a familiar theme, in their
case setting contemporary indie rock fragments within the framework
of folk rock and the blues.
The songs are ballads that begin
in one style and let the other naturally fade in. "Paperman Soldiers"
starts with a rock riff that could be the next single by Jet, but quickly
gives way to the twangy guitar style of The Beatles' "Two of Us."
Other tracks begin with an Appalachian tune or a Memphis strum only
to permit the entrance of an edgier style, like that of The Mountain
Goats.
What distinguishes the band from
the pastiche of their own influences is Westman's high, nasal-y voice,
which remains recognizable in all registers. He sings in a lilting,
metrical cadence that rises higher and higher to the top of his phrases
until it sounds like he's about to yodel. Then he drops down lower into
what is virtually spoken word, and the cycle repeats. He is expressive
and honest-sounding, but the sound rarely changes. It's as if every
song is a true self-portrait, so why would it?
Strolling back and forth across the
stage at Howler's on Friday, Westman asked the audience to get out of
their seats and groove. Several complied by dancing along, and even
more stood close by, tapping their feet to the rock and whooping loudly
at the bluesiest pinnacle of each song. It was a telling scene, not
only for the crowd's eager compliance, but for who was in the crowd
itself. During what was easily the most popular tune of the night, "Burlee,"
Westman sang:
Friends of the past / Friends
of the future / Let's meet somewhere in the middle
That compromise is not only true
of the band's music, which fuses prairie songs with indie rock, but
is also true of the band's audience, which spans generations to reach
the young and the balding alike.
By working within the framework of familiar forms and adding their own
imprimatur, Nik Westman & The Central Plains successfully broaden
their appeal across varying demographics of taste and age. Armed, like
all good storytellers, with a beer and a guitar Westman engages on multiple
fronts. It almost doesn't matter what your musical preferences are.
The band will give you what you like. Everything else is a bonus musical
surprise. And who doesn't like surprises? (written by myspace.com/burghsounds.com)