The Echo Friendly :: "Worried"

The Echo Friendly possess one of the better stories of any band who once doubled as a romantic couple. This is no Mates of State circa 2003 love story. Singers Jake Rabinbach and the Chrissy Hynde-inspired Shannon Esper made their music to come to terms with their terrible, long distance break up between Brooklyn and Memphis. They are now best friends. On 2011 single, "Same Mistakes," the band explored the crushing depths of screwing up and each other. They passed lyrics and melodies back and forth though and built beautiful duets all while falling in and out of love. On "Worried," the couple, now separate, appear communicative, if not optimistic. As they confide to each other in the chorus, "Pessimistic as it seems, sleep will never come that easy," before unleashing the final, repeated conclusion, "we we always have bad dreams." The sound is hooky and bass-heavy like a lost contribution to a mid-90s movie soundtrack compliation. For Esper and Rabinbach, we are the beneficiaries of their mutilations, dark and pretty pop coming out of an impact crater made in slow-motion over years and 1,100 miles.