The Loop : Band of Annuals - Let Me Live

Band of Annuals - Let Me Live (2007)

Band of Annuals have been a longtime victim of coincidence. Not only has there always been confusion between them and Raleigh band Annuals, but the minute Band of Horses exploded, with just as many beards, the Utah group was challenged with setting themselves apart.

But that's never been a problem. They host an incredible set of musicians, taking cues from their desert home to capture the "lonely desert jangle" I've heard describe the Southwest. I had a very vague understanding of Utah before, even having been so close in AZ, only to the point where I knew it was the Mormon "headquarters" and assumed everyone from there was Mormon as well. This band shattered all my misconceptions, existing as a portrait of small town musicians with deep deep rooted history, even though most of them aren't much older than me. Their first full length, Let Me Live already made it on my top 10 list of 2007 (#2, respectively), where I summed it up like this :

"I can't get over how well matched this entire band is. From seamless instrumentals to the two best male/female vocals I've ever heard, they have a sound that is simply uncategorize-able. A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, and one of the few bands that still gives me chills."

And I still mean it to this day. Their Americana style has lent itself to playing with all genres of bands, like Limbeck and Daniel Johnston. They've existed in this very "hip" sector of music, while taking the tone of so many blues/folk musicians before them, drawing familiar, timeless references to whiskey, heartache and transition. They have spent most of their time on the road, digging through Arizona several times (which is how I first heard them, opening for The Via Maris) and making it to the East Coast not once but TWICE before an exploding van kept them stuck in Salt Lake City for a while. They were nothing short of ambassadors of the road, making it a point to meet and hear the stories of everyone they met along the way. Seeing them perform live and come in and out of my respective cities as is real as a band can get, and I know several people who make it a point to rally behind them because of their good spirit.

There is something timeless about this band and about this record. It definitely doesn't fall into the "quiet music" category, but at it's quietest moment is when you feel their synergy as a band the most ; with impeccable harmonies as as much pan as any man can convey in his voice and lyrics. It feels like this band is too talented for everywhere they play and for falling into the shadows of the aforementioned "Band of" and "Annuals" bands. They recently released an EP and are still playing in and around Utah, I just hope that the world-weariness that is set into his voice isn't reflective of this band's future. Music needs a band like this to keep touring and to be discovered in the most organic of ways, because they are the most organic of bands.