Central Falls - Latitude
(Truckstop)
While alt-country certainly has gotten a lot of fans and a lot of pulibicity, it really hasn't caught on or created the type of music like it could have/would have/should have. Ryan Adams sings his timely "New York, New York" on Saturday Night Live and the Late Show, but never quite becomes the "Kurt Cobain of alt-country" some had hoped he'd be. Meanwhile, Wilco loses more and more steam with each release.
This whole No Depression movement can be traced back to Chicago, so
it should be no surprise that Chicago remains one of the more active alt-country areas.
Central Falls is a new group on Truckstop, home of some of Chicago's better country-flavored pop acts. The leader of Central Falls is Adam Vida, long time drummer for Edith Frost and recent drumming replacement for U.S. Maple (yes, that U.S. Maple). Central Falls' music is much like the rest of the Truckstop catalog—Pinetop Seven, Lofty Pillars, if you've heard those band you likely will know what to expect. Like those acts, Central Falls is a full band; Vida is joined by his brother Ben as well as Noel Kupersmith (Chicago Underground, Brokeback) and other members of Edith Frost's backing band, Steve Dorocke and Jason Adasiewicz.
Central Falls' main difference from those other Chicago alt-country bands is their sense of restraint. Each sound on their debut album, Latitude, is soft, controlled, and under-stated. Each change in sound is gentle and subtle. Such a sound is hard to do well as bands who try often end up drifting off into boring plains of simple sounds, and while Central Falls can be quite a relaxing listening experience, it never gets bland enough to be boring.
However, only a couple moments on the album qualify as being interesting or exciting. Changes are subtle and subdued, granted; however, often the changes are also expected and uninspired. No sound is poorly placed, but no sound is truly noteworthy. Even Vida's voice is simple and understated, barely rising above a whisper.
Perhaps Central Falls suffers from being on a label that already has so many fine country-like bands. There's nothing that bad about their music, but when placed side-by-side with Pinetop Seven or Lofty Pillars, it's hard to recommend Central Falls.
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