A couple years ago, a friend invited me to join a Facebook group he had started called “Midwest Emoposting.” It has since grown to many thousand members, but in its humble beginnings, there were precious few of us.
As expected, the group didn’t just attract music fans alone, but also a number of musicians. Every so often, there would be a post by a member promoting their own band. Admittedly, I often ignored these posts, as the songs felt like lackluster American Football copies. But one day, a man named Stephen O’Sicky posted about his band, CATERPILLARS, and my first reaction was, “wait…this is actually good.”
Since then, a lot has changed. CATERPILLARS and my own band SPACESHIPS are now label mates on Friend Club Records, and we both released new full lengths a couple weeks apart (another friend from that group did the cover art).
Said full length is Where Shadows Go to Speak, a super solid collection of songs that are at once ethereal, emotive, and powerful.
While many modern emo bands get caught up obsessing over emulating their inspirations without developing their own voice, Where Shadows… combines elements of their influences without ever sounding like a hollow copy. There are hints of Elliott’s shimmering atmospheres, Circa Survive’s soaring melodies, Appleseed Cast’s fusion of post rock and emo hooks, and Sunny Day Real Estate’s shifting dynamics. These touchstones are plainly seen, but they’re more an accent than a script. They’re a clear part of CATERPILLARS’ voice, but they are making their own statement.
The songs are impressively written and played, the lush arrangements providing the perfect contrast for the delicate sentimentalism of the lyrics. The songs touch on loss, grief, mental health, and redemption, Chris Robinson’s light tenor hovering above the instruments, often aided bassist Ben Love’s harmonies. Robinson and guitarist/producer Eric Braun create a rich ambience of electric and acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers, and glockenspiels. Meanwhile, Love and O’Sicky aren’t deterred by the other members’ delicate balance of atmospheres, offering enough driving beats and grooving low end to keep the songs grounded.
As CATERPILLARS’ fifth release in their twelve year history, you’d expect Where Shadows Go to Speak to be self assured, secure in their own identity as a band. And that’s exactly what this record offers. And if the ripples across social media are any indication, this album is finally getting the Texas quartet the attention that they deserve.