The Standard don’t mean to be obscure, but the music they make just cannot be defined by conventional labels. They aren’t manicured enough for indie pop and their songs are too complex and layered to ever be considered predictable. The fact that you can’t immediately, or ever, lump them into a definable genre might be off-putting for some, but if you are willing to let down your guard and accept the noise as it unravels, you can hear the devil in the details.
Over the years, the band has been able to take greater and greater risks with their sound. From the very beginning, they set out to make the kind of music they always wanted to hear played. Rather than waiting for someone else to make it a reality, the quartet got to work at writing their own history. Every album they have made is a separate and distinct work of art. The songs, their themes and melodies, aren’t meant to connect. For singer Tim Putnam, the scope of the band’s work is a representation of their collective time together as opposed to a singular moment in time.
“Each album was a natural progression into the next. I was feeling nostalgic one day, and listened to all of our albums in a row. It was kind of a lot to take in. It made me uncomfortable, and wasn't pleasant. It was like smelling a perfume on your wife that your mom used to wear. If anything, our writing went from being more cerebral to more organic. I'm not sure I understand what that means, but it seems correct.”
Despite the endless pitfalls that come with being a band, The Standard have consistently produced records that are thoughtful and honest. The raw emotion of Putnam’s gruff voice adds depth and texture to the clean, crisp lines of the music. Their latest release, Swimmer, is a testament to the band’s ability to make even the simplest musical concept sound rich and refined.
“The process from Swimmer's inception to now has been a long one. It seems like all of our records have taken the long road to whatever end. We were hunkered down in Portland, OR in rehearsal studios and Rob O's basement for several months. Rob O engineered it, and Tony [Lash] came on to mix /master the record. We've worked with him on our mastering for all of our records,” noted Putnam.
While certain things have remained a constant for the foursome, change is also an old friend. Having gone through five labels, countless managers and reliable modes of transportation, The Standard, and more specifically Putnam himself, were ready to tackle something else they could call their own. Partisan Records would rise from the ashes of many failed attempts at finding the right home for their albums and allow Putnam to spread more than just their harmonies through the airwaves.
“I didn't really start Partisan Records to put out The Standard's new release. I was more interested in other musicians I've known for awhile and deeply admired. Holy Sons, Deer Tick, and Cajun Gems are all bands on Partisan now. I wanted to share their music with other people. Build something special. As nice as it is to be able to release The Standard's music on our own terms, working with these other bands has been the real motivating factor for starting the label.”
The Portland-based foursome obviously has no qualms about taking on a new challenge. There is nothing easy about making the kind of music that never becomes familiar or comfortable.
“The Standard is a very collaborative band. It makes for a long process, but we tend to know when we hit on something. That's why our songs tend to vary across an entire record. We have never set out to make an album that was the same stylistically from beginning to end. Maybe it makes for songs that aren't as easily digested, but it is what always interested us.”
They accept their idiosyncrasies as one of the many reasons their music is set apart from all the rest. “We aren't hip. We aren't commercial. We aren't that pretty or at least the other guys aren't. Our music isn't really indie music but it certainly isn't mainstream. We always wanted to do well, but most of our time was spent focused on making our music rather than promoting it. I don't think we really fit in anywhere on the contemporary landscape.”
The Standard has proven, once again, that fitting in is highly overrated. Swimmer is another stunning example of how good music can be when expectation and conventionality are thrown out to sea.
-- Brigitte B. Zabak [October 5, 2008]
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The Standards' new album Swimmer is out now on Partisan Records.
The Standard Website
The Standard Myspace
