Listen
Ten years ago, Jared Boulanger humbly released a 6-song EP under the moniker The Sour Notes. Today the venture has evolved into a full-on band (with Boulanger still being the chief songwriter) winning over fans from all over and building a discography 12-releases strong. In that decade, Boulanger and crew have played with a number of styles and instrumentations, sometimes using as many as 5 synths at a time or employing the use of a full string section (shoutout to Austin’s beloved Mother Falcon). Throughout these sonic explorations, some things have remained rigidly consistent. Boulanger has an uncanny knack for catchy pop melodies, blending female voices seamlessly into the landscape, and, something that’s fairly uncommon, employing the same producer and engineer for every single effort the group has put out, thus creating a solid foundation for making their sour brand so addicting. Put simply, it’s just real good pop-rock, dude.
Their latest release is a 7-inch celebrating the Sour Notes’s 10th anniversary. Everything fans have come to know and love about the group are in play here: catchy guitars supported by a driving bass and rhythm section, the deft mixing and mastering hands of Steve Christensen and Joe LaPorta respectively, and an exemplary use of gilded-female vocals threaded through the piece, lent this time by Ruby Fray’s Emily Beanblossom. Oh…and if you listen carefully, you might hear a little Pink Floyd nod in the bridge *wink, wink*.
“Welcome to the Club” appears on Finest Sour, out now via their Bandcamp. Catch the Sour Notes (for free!) tonight for the Wine Down at 3Ten at ACL Live.
-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli
