Here And Nowhere

The trouble with being in two great bands at once is that one is usually going to take precedence over the other, which means sometimes the smaller group has to bide their time. Such is the fate of the Autumn Defense, the superb indie pop band led by John Stirratt and Pat Sansone, both of whom are also members of Wilco. Being under the employment of Jeff Tweedy keeps them profitably busy, and after the Autumn Defense issued Fifth in 2014, it took Stirratt and Sansone 11 years to scare up the time to complete their sixth album, 2025s Here and Nowhere. Thankfully, it was more than worth the wait. Stirratt and Sansones command of 1960s Baroque pop and 1970s soft rock is truly remarkable, and with Here and Nowhere, they have fashioned an impressive set of songs that show off their gifts for penning melodies that are hooky and evocative, sometimes overcast but never morose, and theyve documented them with superb studiocraft. Most of the time, this music is clearly influenced by the more contemplative side of 70s soft rock -- think yacht rock for rainy days -- and Stirratt and Sansone can not only write tunes that put a fresh spin on that era, they have the skills to emulate the studio sounds of that era. The sweetly sad keyboards and extended acoustic guitar soloing on "Underneath the Rollers" is peak Laurel Canyon 1974, and "The Ones" could pass for America having an introspective moment in dim light. Stirratt and Sansone know this stuff well, but theyre not borrowing; they simply know how to write and play in this idiom and can do so with the skill and elan of the masters, and they have the smarts to give these songs the emotional weight they need. Bassist James Haggerty and drummer Greg Wieczorek may play a smaller role here, but they display the same estimable chops and imagination of the bandleaders, and they add a welcome drive to the Big Star homage "Ill Take You Out of Your Mind," the Todd Rundgren-esque relationship saga "In the Beginning," and the breezy, confident "Hearts Arrive." Perhaps the Autumn Defense might not manage to keep their stellar quality control at the same level if they were knocking out albums like this as their primary occupation instead of as a side project. But at their relaxed pace, theyve treated us to a handful of albums loaded with top-notch songwriting and stellar production, and Here and Nowhere is a treat for anyone who savors soft rock in the classic style. ~ Mark Deming