Generationals – Actor-Caster

April 7th, 2011 by Andrew Bailey generationals - actor-caster

Generationals - Actor-Caster

From the first jangly, near-spastic notes of the incredibly contagious “Ten-Twenty-Ten”, one thing is clear about Generationals’ Actor-Caster: this is going to be a fun ride. The sophomore full-length from Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer follows down paths blazed by Belle and Sebasatian, The Magnetic Fields, and The Shins, sprinkling in their own guitar riffs and 1960-70′s influence to formulate their own personality. The result is an album every bit as fun as it is familiar that spends its time endearing itself to the listener rather than attempting to redefine any sonic landscapes.

Actor-Caster obtains most of its best moments through sheer craftsmanship. The instrumentals are all especially crisp, from the splashes of percussion that back up Joyner and Widmer’s guitars on the previously mentioned “Ten-Twenty-Ten” to the finesse with which the synths and spacious electronic claps are utilized on “Yours Forever”, this a thoroughly well put together record. The lyrics are a little vanilla sometimes (“anyone will tell ya/we belong together”), but the way they’re wrapped up in sharp melodies and catchy verses makes that a nitpicker’s gripe. But what’s most impressive about the architecture of these songs is just how relaxed and natural it all feels. Actor-Caster sounds like it was made by a couple of proficient and confident guys who enjoyed the process and went with the flow rather than ached and slaved over perfecting each idea. Joyner and Widmer’s content shines through and only serves to increase the music’s potency.

As the end of the album gets closer, the script does start feeling a tad repetitive though. Generationals combat this a bit with the introspective “Black and White”, a slight knuckleball that nudges up closer to ballad territory than any other cut, and standout “Greenleaf”. Still, deciphering where the edges of some of these songs split can be a little tricky. That isn’t such a big deal though, because the upbeat, engaging formula works so well that even if you do find yourself stuck inside of the same soundscape more than once, at least its a pleasant whirlpool to be in.

Though largely reminiscent of a thousand other bands that came before them, Generationals spend their latest full-length successfully captaining a bunch of highly recognizable sounds while hardly ever forfeiting traction. Its a difficult tightrope to get across, but Actor-Caster prevails. The relative leisure that it seems to take only makes the feat that much more impressive.

- Available March 29, 2011.

Recommended: “Ten-Twenty-Ten”

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Recommended: “Greenleaf”

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