Dustcovers

It’s hard to pin down So So Radio, and not just because it’s spread so far apart. The band practices with drummer Sam Arneson in Fort Atkinson, but singer/guitarist Ryan Garcia makes the trek from Janesville, and bassist Nick Hoffmann commutes from Madison. But while the geographical disconnect might foster an expanded scope on the band’s debut LP, Dustcovers, it is also an apt reflection of the group’s struggle to sustain cohesion throughout.

Vocally, Garcia takes a lot of cues from Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, keying on themes of a discontented Americana with an affected tone. But he doesn’t match Sheff’s lyrical acumen or deft narratives, and relies on consistent jumpstarts from his musical accompaniment to keep Dustcovers from stalling.

Together, the trio specializes in growth, carving compelling alternative routes to the same quiet-loud ascension on songs like “Walls” and “Central Standard Time.” But the songs ring loudest when they eschew the formula for a more assertive arrangement, as on “Moenjodaro.” A different iteration of the song that appeared in season nine of Scrubs, Garcia’s throaty vocals wring the microphone dry like no other time on the album. Garcia’s guitar is likewise sharp here, though it spends a great deal of Dustcovers as loose and wispy, often butting heads with the deep, hollow drums—and Hoffmann’s bass doesn’t stay tethered to any melody long enough for the trio to stay tight.

Hoffmann has the longest drive to the practice space (albeit by about eight minutes), and he sounds restless on Dustcovers. He constantly scurries around the fretboard as if he needs something else to occupy himself while the songs are playing. So So Radio has an impressive understanding of what a good album should sound like, but many melodies get hamstrung by a lack of focus or direction. The band does well by its alt-rock and indie-pop source material and has a firm grip on song structure and pacing; now it’s just a matter of them concentrating everything together to write one that sounds distinctly its own.