Michigander is the sonic alter ego of singer-songwriter Jason Singer, a native of (as his artistic moniker suggests) Michigan. He’s been steadily gaining buzz for a few years now with singles such as “Misery,” “Let Down” and most recently “The Other Way,” which appears on this EP, It Will Never Be The Same. Indeed, most of this EP consists of already-released singles with only two of its six tracks being new material. While this does mean that there’s not likely to be any big surprises on the EP, it also does mean that listeners will largely know what to expect.
Put more plainly, those who’ve enjoyed Michigander’s previous singles will likely find a lot to like on this EP, and we do as well. It Will Never Be The Same offers a solid collection of “poppy” indie-rock tracks and lays the groundwork for a respectable debut album whenever he chooses to release one. It doesn’t take many artistic risks, but does enough to make Michigander stand out as an artist.
The album’s instrumental sound is probably the best place to start. Michigander is obviously inspired by the more mainstream indie rock of the early-to-mid 2010s, and he offers up a familiar but fresh take on that sound here. Songs like “Superglue” and “Stay Out Of It,” with their combination of electric guitar and liberal use of synths, are reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s 2010 album The Suburbs in a good way. Similarly, “Cannonball,” the EP’s closing track, calls to mind some of the more recent work of Portugal. The Man with its watery bassline.
That’s not to write the entire album off as pastiche though, because that’s not the case. “In My Head” with Manchester Orchestra uses its collaboration to its fullest, creating a fuller and more bombastic sound than most artists are able to accomplish on their own.
Michigander’s vocals also do a lot to distinguish these songs from those of his peers. While his thinner, more nasal tone might be a bit of an acquired taste, when combined with the right amount of distortion like on “The Other Way,” it compliments the electric guitar tones of the album well and marks these tracks as his own.
The lyrics are probably the album’s least stand-out spot, not offering much spin on their tried-and-true relationship-related subject matter. The album doesn’t offer much in the way of colorful metaphors, sticking mostly with lines like “It feels like everybody’s talking/but no one’s ever listening” (“Stay Out of It”) and “I try to hard to fight the feeling/that it’s all in my head” (“In My Head”). And the track “Indianapolis,” in particular, misses its opportunity to work its titular city into its lyrics, a real disappointment in that regard.
Overall though, listening to this EP will give you a good idea of why Michigander is a rising star. He takes a tried-and-true sound and makes it his own, taking what bands before him have done successfully and doing more than enough to not just be another imitator. If you’re a fan of mainstream indie rock, or just want to get in early on one of tomorrow’s rising stars, give this EP a listen.
Overall: 7/10
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