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Concert Tue Oct 02 2007
Submerged in Tulsa
Boston natives Tulsa want you to be ever curious. Taking their name from a Larry Clark book of photographs, Tulsa describe their music as the pursuit of life, or "staying hungry for life, upholding that curiosity." Their debut EP I Was Submerged (released October 9th on Park the Van Records) carries with it some sort of trippy mist that’s so heavy it could break your back; yet so addictive you’ll never want to leave. There are layers of fear, anger, desperation, frustration, and awe built into every track, all coated with mystery that awaits your curiosity.
Tulsa play at South Union Arts 10/4/07, 8PM (Also playing are Anon, Good Nurse and The Syllable Section)
Tracks from I Was Submerged:
"Shaker"
"Mass"
"Rafter"
Back to more about I Was Submerged, because this record kicks ass. Tulsa have pulled together some of the best atmospheric trippy tracks I’ve heard this year. Contemporary comparisons to this 7-track release could be made to Wilco’s creepier moments, or Band of Horses’ drifting vintage instrumentals. Yet the paranoia atmosphere put forth by tracks like “#2” or “Mass” have much more in common with a sort of Dark Side of the Moon esthetic, even throwing in a punchy Zeppelin-like guitar solo in 'Breath Thin."
The layered instrumentals and reverberated, haunting vocals combine to create this eerily calming melody. But Tulsa can rip through their own self-created calm with vintage-drenched guitar solos that surely hint as to what Band of Horses would sound like if Jimmy Page joined their ranks.
Though incorporating influences of alt-country, trippy instrumentalism, and even shoegaze now and again (the intro to "Rafter" could easily break into a full-fledged tribute to Explosions in the Sky), Tulsa maintain an overall impression of unity and uniqueness. The many layers of instrumental work and vocals are key to this, shrouding I Was Submerged with a sense of mystery, uncomforting eeriness, and an inescapable sense of allure.
After their current tour in support of I Was Submerged, Tulsa will return to the studio to prepare for the release of their first full length, due out sometime in spring of 2008.
