Steward and Jen Turrell

"The Wedding" split 7"

Gifted Records

Genres: indie pop, pop

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Feb 17 - 23 2003

"The Wedding" 7" collects four beautiful, endearing pop tunes that are guaranteed get indie pop kids smiling.  The songs represent a wide selection of styles, including some neat electronics on "I Burnt The Coffee" that add variety to the mix.  But perhaps the most notable aspect of the release is that it represents the marriage of Steward (as in Stewart Anderson) and Jen Turrell, who are both members of Boyracer.

Side A houses two tracks, "Sweatpea" and "I Burnt The Coffee."  "Sweetpea" is a delicate little tune about love that will bring a tear to anyone's eye.  It has a slightly isolated sound to it, though it still manages to be friendly and personal as well.  It calls to mind the romantic image of someone recording alone in a bedroom.  "I Burnt The Coffee," meanwhile, has a buzzing, beat-y electronic rhythm section that makes it sound something like a lo-fi-ified Notwist.  Despite the electronics, which often lend songs a sense of mechanical isolation, the tune still manages to be personal and catchy.

Side B is also made up of two tracks, "Sparkly Eyes" and "Summertime in December."  "Sparkly Eyes" is a lovely tune that boasts some really nice, dreamy guitars that come across very clearly - every string is felt as it's plucked.  Jen's adorable vocals are also a nice element to the song.  "Summertime in December" then, is a very catchy tune that will make just about any indie popper want to curl up with a loved one.  The guitar strokes lend it a rolling, dreamy sound - ah, so beautiful.

Altogether, The Wedding seven-inch gets the recommendation from me.  If you're looking for some good ol' indie pop, perhaps with a bit of a romantic element to it, you can't go wrong here.

84%

Fun Fact: This isn't the only release created to celebrate Jen and Stewart's wedding - a full record, called The Wedding LP, was issued by 555 Recordings to celebrate the duo's October 2001 union.  Exclusive tracks by Kid606, The Softies, Cannanes, The Bright Lights, and Huon, among others, were donated for the album.

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 4 songs, distributed by HHBTM, released 2002]