Album Notes

"Western Reserve" finds Miranda Sound fulfilling its considerable potential amid the white noise of so many other post-punk poseurs." - Denver Post
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Being unique in a field of pretenders is certainly an accomplishment, and testimony to the fact that Billy Peake (voc/guitar), Dan Gerken (voc/guitar/cello/keys), Sean Sefcik (bass/keys), and Dan Bell (drums) have forged their own distinct sound. But it's a curse because you, dear writers, can't conscionably attest that "This Columbus, Ohio four-piece sounds like [insert current indie darling here]" and be done with it. You're just going to have to give Western Reserve repeated listens. (Don't worry: you'll want to anyway.)

Western Reserve is Miranda Sound's third full-length since 2001. The band's albums have continuously met with favorable reviews, and their dedication to using every non-working, non-school-attending moment to hop in a van and play shows throughout the Midwest has earned them a respectable following in cities from Chicago to Boston.

However, minor success hasn't come without some setbacks and freak accidents. They were hampered by the departure of their original drummer during the height of Engaged in Labor. They were also slowed down when their touring van was smashed by a tree during an electrical storm. The biggest setback, a car-on-bike accident involving multi-instrumentalist Dan Gerken during the summer of 2003, wound up providing the band with new breath and new inspiration. The accident is documented in the song "Close Calls." With the rare distinction of having co-lead vocalists, Miranda Sound is often able to tell a story from two different points of view; "Close Calls" is one of those songs. Peake recalls, through his lyrics, the accident which nearly cost his bandmate his life: "Dan destroyed an Oldsmobile/ with his forehead/ His bike's crushed, his head's a crimson mess/ When he wakes up he will guess/ how he got there." Gerken recollects in first-person: "You should have seen me when they strapped me in/ Blood in my hair, with beet-red irises."

To document these poignant moments on Western Reserve, Miranda Sound enlisted the talents of J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Government Issue) who has previously lent production talent to the likes of The Promise Ring, Clutch, The Dismemberment Plan, and Shiner. The band met Robbins at Workbook Studio in Columbus during summer 2005 to start recording, with engineering help from Neal Schmitt and Jon Chinn (The Sun, New Bomb Turks). Robbins' influence both as a producer and musician can he heard on such standout tracks as Western Reserve's opener "Jackson Milton," "The Lull of Youngstown" and "Control," which features Gerken on cello. As much as Robbins played an integral part in the final output, the band retains its own clear sound throughout the dozen tracks. In all, Western Reserve is as honest and real as it gets. It's a true, thoughtful, yet accessible record with dark and memorable riffs, appealing melodies, and lyrics that accurately but obliquely reflect what it's like to realize that you're an adult.