PRESENT COMPANY "TALKING ON COUCHES" ALBUM REVIEW
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Album art for Talking on Couches by Present Company.
I’ve been struggling with what I want to say about this record. I want to say something brainy and interesting but simply put, clever quips are unnecessary because “Talking on Couches” is just a great record. Minneapolis band Present Company have managed to produce a youthful, anthemic, and powerful album on their very first effort. This earnest debut manages to sound not like the work of a “local band” but that of a national one with some work already under their belt. There is a tendency amongst some in the music scene to avoid criticism which often leads to a bland and mediocre product, however, Present Company have avoided these trappings one way or another and have constructed an extremely well-produced and well-written debut.
The album kicks off with an orchestral swell reminiscent of some Funeral-era Arcade Fire for the opening track “Probably”. Slowly building in instrumentation, the bass frolics along in tandem with a locomotive, tom-heavy drum groove. The vocals come in fairly dry singing about a place that’s “got the rhythm,” before plunging into an ocean of reverb and imploring the listener to “dance for your life,” and with all the rousing instrumentation surrounding it, I’m more than happy to oblige.
The second track “Please” features a melodic drawn-out guitar line similar to “All I Want” by LCD Soundsystem which was seemingly inspired by David Bowie’s “Heroes”. With lyrics like “I’ve always been the kind to confuse myself with something that I did, I’m sure that I did,” that appeal to the overthinking, socially awkward nature in many of us, the band displays the subtle but potent nature of their lyricism to hit the nail right on the head without being on-the-nose. The band chose “Please” as a single with a heart-felt but quirky accompanying video. While it is an excellent song, it is an interesting choice for a single due to the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a clear, traditional chorus. The only part you could argue is the hook doesn’t arrive until three minutes and forty seconds into the track. I would argue that the band offers no chorus, instead opting for three distinct refrains, repeating only within themselves but not again in other parts of the song which is quite an inventive structure. This is a bold move on behalf of the band but the song is so well put together and arranged with great dynamic shifts that this fact is hardly noticeable upon first listen.
Possibly the most immediate track so far comes in the form of “Rabbit Hole”. It may not be the most inventive offering from the tracklisting, but it is a solid track and another example of how momentous choruses seem to simply fall out of their ass. The highlight of the track is the drop-out at the 2:39 mark bringing us home to the final chorus.
On the fourth track (and quite possibly my favorite) “Forget It” we find a heavy dose of The National worship. At no point is this more apparent than during the breakdown of the song about halfway through. If someone told me that a young Matt Berninger wrote this part, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least. This isn’t to say that the song is a ripoff by any stretch. It feels more like the band is wearing some of their influence proudly as a badge of honor and I’m here for it.
“Animal”, the most idiosyncratic and shortest tune features a drug haze so thick you could take a bite out of it. With a wicked wandering bass line, herky-jerky drums, wailing guitar, and glassy keys - the track provides a perfect bed for some smooth vocals drowned in echo. The song is simultaneously disorienting but groovy, dark but beautiful.
The song “Basement” opens with the line “Perfectly stable, perfectly fine” which reads almost verbatim what I’ve been saying to myself every morning in the mirror through the era of Covid. But in all seriousness, the song is thoughtful and full of beauty; musically and lyrically. The lyrics are not clear-cut but they are evocative. Musically, the song feels like a first big post-high school adventure. Maybe it’s a road trip with friends. Maybe it’s the long drive to an out-of-state college. Either way, it’s full of wonder and the excitement of possibility.
Fully equipped with a keyboard sound straight from Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter”, “Living Room Parade” is ominous not unlike the former, but still quite catchy and spacious. Some of the deep cello-like swells sound as though they have a little of Nigel Godrich’s juice spilled on them. All of these elements create a deep, cavernous and watery feel until just past the halfway mark where the band dexterously switches to a blazing double time vivace. The band comes to a screeching halt and I’m left on a post-rollercoaster high; hair blown back and slightly dazed.
“Talking to You” acts as the de facto title track. The drums groove along throughout the entire track while the bass chugs along and guitars and keys slowly enter and exit to create the subtle dynamics of this song. The track is simple but painfully bittersweet and wildly captivating; maybe the most brief but potent contribution here.
I’m getting very strong early Jane’s Addiction vibes from the next track “Believe”. Like many of the references I’ve made here, I am in no way aware that these influences are in any way conscious on the part of the band, but the fact that they are making their way onto this record in one shape or form is a welcomed treat for me. The highlight here is the mathematical guitar riff over a funky time-signature change that brings us into the orgasmic explosion that is the final jam-out.
There isn’t a single bad song on this entire record, but I do feel that “Space Turtle” was a bit out of place at this point in the sequencing lyrically and musically. Sure, after a track like “Believe”, an argument can be made that a come-down is needed, however this feels slightly indulgent which is a bit of a surprise given so far on this record everything feels very genuine and as though I’ve just stumbled upon a gem along with the band that’s not even aware themselves as to how good it actually is. This is the first instance that feels forced or that they needed another track to get to a forty-five minute runtime. But to be fair, there is a lot of excellent material for it to live up to on this album, so even the weakest song is still good.
For the final track we are served up a waltz-time piano ballad of sorts in Present Company fashion; full of passion, great dynamics, chanting vocals, and a lingering sense of melancholy. Like most other tracks, this one is also boldly cinematic. I am sure this will be the soundtrack for the climactic moment of an indie teen-romance film someday.
“Talking on Couches” is an incredibly ambitious, spirited effort from some Minneapolis newcomers and their effort paid off. They swung for the fences and in the process exceeded any of my normal expectations of a “local band.” Every good band grows and expands from record to record and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this Present Company.
Present Company:
Christian Nelson (he/him): Lead Vocals, Guitar, Synths
Eddie Chisham (he/him): Lead Vocals, Guitar, Synths
Seth Lemmon (he/him): Bass, Backing Vocals
Berin Joseph (he/him): Drums
(Melodic Noise) How is your day going?
(Present Company) Hey! We’re having fun with this album release but we’re also pretty beat mentally. We had to wait a while for our album to come back to us and when it did we basically worked to promote it, and prep for our live show, for 3 weeks straight so we are pooped.
(MN) What is your formed/origin story?
(PC) Christian and I (Eddie) were roommates and best friends in college. We both played music and wrote bad songs, but never worked together. A couple years later, in 2018, we were both married, working adult jobs, and totally lost and confused about life.
We had the epiphany that just hanging out was a waste of time. So, we decided we were going to make art together (often resulting in just hanging out). We were both already trying to make solo music, and it just wasn’t working out. We already liked a lot of the same music, movies and other art.
Every week we would work on songs. I (Eddie) would bring a song over. Christian would light up, add his own stamp to it, and ultimately make it better. I’d do the same to his songs, and eventually they were our songs. Our competition to make better songs than the other, and our collaboration is what made Present Company what it is. We added our friend/bassist Seth in 2019. Our drummer, Berin, just joined the band the day the album dropped in 2020.
(MN) Genre?
(PC) Indie alternative
(MN) Label?
(PC) Right now, we are independent
(MN) What is the story behind the album's name?
(PC) Two of our songs (Take Me Down and Talking to You) have the lyric “talking on couches”. We used to describe our sound as living room rock. We felt like Talking on Couches really fit the vibe of the album. All the subject matter and the feels on the album are probably things that people would talk about on a couch.
(MN) Lyrically what stands out on the album?
(PC) Midwest sadness, confused relationship interpretation, strict religious upbringing, a desire and failure to be present, and manic anxiety on what to do with our time.
(MN) What do you hope people take away from the album?
(PC) We wrote our music and lyrics in a way that was very meaningful and specific to us, but we don’t really want our feelings on these songs to be forced on other people. If listeners can come away with their own meanings and feelings, that’s a win for us.
(MN) What did you learn about yourselves as you were making this project?
(PC) We learned we are way better as collaborators. It’s almost like we’re each half of the same brain. Every song starts as a skeleton written by one of us. The other adds the muscles, the other adds the skin, the other adds the details. The songs are never nearly as good when just one of us had input. There are certain roles that we would take throughout the whole process from writing to production that just made the machine work.
(MN) Who did your album art and how did you choose it?
(PC) Jonny Hall (of the local band Jaguar Jaguar) painted our artwork. We showed him the music, and we told him what it was all about. He took our concrete thoughts and turned them into abstract art. We knew it when we saw it. The little color graphic on all our stuff was designed by Kate Evans.
(MN) What's your favorite part about the recording process?
(PC) Writing and mixing are probably our two favorite steps, but they can be very abstract. Recording is really cool because it feels like you’re actually working and you’re physically tired when you’re done.
(MN) When did you know the album was done?
(PC) Christian has a terrible dented car that blows fumes in your face. For whatever reason, the sound system is magical. When we heard the masters in there, we knew.
(MN) Are you locals or transplants?
(PC) Locals. Technically I (Eddie) grew up in Hopkins and Christian grew up in Rogers, but we’ve lived in Minneapolis since we were 18.
(MN) What are some of your influences and Minnesota influences?
(PC) The National, Daughter, Radiohead, LCD Soundsytem, Big Thief, My Morning Jacket, Tears For Fears, Mitski, Thundercat, Japanese Breakfast, The Smiths, Joy Division, and definitely Prince.
(MN) Who are some of your favorite current Twin Cities artists?
(PC) Jonny Darko, Bathtub Cig, All Eyes, Har Mar Superstar, Niiice., LASKA, Jaguar Jaguar, Sister Species, Van Stee, The Nunnery, Miloe, Kiss the Tiger, Graveyard Club, Larry Wish, Monica LaPlante!, Bugsy, Flip Rushmore, Little Fevers, Dad Bod, Nadine, Products, No Kim, YYY, Go For Retro, Astralblak, Astromonique, Partition, Gramma’s Boyfriend, Battlerat, Dizzy Fae!, Ness Nite, Gully Boys, Keep For Cheap, Nur-D, Oftener.
(MN) What is your favorite venue to play and see shows at in Twin Cities?
(PC) We obviously love First Ave & 7th Street. Roy Wilkins is great. Triple Rock used to be great! Icehouse, Aster Cafe, Varsity Theater and Skyway are always a fun time. We love going to 2000’s night at Honey. We have only played as a full band at 612 Brew, which was fun! We were gearing up to play a ton of shows just as Covid-19 hit. We gained a lot of steam playing, just the two of us, at Moto-i, for their open mic nights.
(MN) What can fans expect when they come to your shows?
(PC) Very raw, very uncool energy. Loud guitars, louder synths, the highest vocals we can reach, and a lot of sadness!
(MN) Do you have a favorite or crazy memory of playing a show?
(PC) As a rockish band we had our guitars poop out on us during our first full show. We brought some extra energy and the trumpet and made it work.
(MN) Other hobbies?
(PC) We’re film makers! We made both of our music videos for Living Room Parade and Please. We have some music videos in the works for other artists too. We shoot narrative stuff when we can squeeze in the time. You might also see us on a longboard downtown.
(MN) What do you like about living in the Twin Cities?
(PC) The winters are so miserable, it makes you appreciate everything else. Minneapolis has everything a city needs without having to go far. Great sad music comes from here. Tons of awesome venues to see music. Great views. Great lakes. Great people who stand up against the system.
(MN) Is there anything that sets the Twin Cities scene apart from places you've toured?
(PC) I just think it’s cool that Twin Cities artists want to be here, make music here, play here and collaborate here. I think the great local radio shows help, and people in the cities are interested in art, music and enjoying it together.
(MN) What are your favorite places to grab food or drink in the Twin Cities?
(PC) Pre-Covid you could find Eddie and Christian just about every week at Updown. Best pizza in Minneapolis is Andrea in the skyways.
(MN) What are the band's plans for the future?
(PC) We’re writing album 2 and gearing up to play a million shows around the cities and elsewhere (as soon as that’s possible).
(MN) Is there anyone you want to shout out or thank?
(PC) Tim Torabpour (When We Land) recorded drums for us and showed us how to put together a live show, been friends for a decade. Shout out to Jonny Fuller AKA Jonny Darko who mixed our album. He’s got his own music and produces and mixes for other artists (book a session with him!). Also a shout out to our friends Benjamin Peterson (solo project coming soon), Jaguar Jaguar (new project soon) and setstill (new project very soon).
Check out more rom Present Company on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.
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Review and interview by: Eric Addams, Writer
Also edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Writer @PlaylistTC
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