Witulant

Admittedly I’m a little ignorant as to the band’s standing in the indie rock world, particularly as to their relationship with the local Minnesota scene. I hadn’t even heard of them up until a month or so ago, but after just now getting back for a show of theirs in Mankato, I’m making up for lost time. They just have the one eponymous debut album, but it’s more than enough to take in. The songs ebb and flow, mellow to meteoric. The unusual chord structures and rhythms are held together nicely by a ferocious percussion section and an impassioned lead singer. They border on prog-rock (with some six-nine minute songs), but without the spaced-out quirks; perhaps a leaner, more polite version, and with a broader instrumental set. I’ve been through the album once, and while it doesn’t immediately scream barn-burner, it’s also not without its charm and truckloads of potential. They’re the sort of band I’d imagine five years later making epic records, and I’d be proud to say I saw them waaaay back when…