“Shaker“
from the EP I Was Submerged
2007
iTunes
Amidst carving out a solo career in the mid-2000s, notably with 2005’s Birds & Rain, singer/songwriter Carter Tanton made the short move from Baltimore to Boston and quickly realized his inkling to form a full band. Tanton soon collected Greg Hatem (drums), Marc Pinansky (guitarist), and Erik Wormwood (bassist); voilà Tulsa. The group issued their first digital EP Hunting With Cats in 2006 and I Was Submerged, out this fall, marked their debut effort for Park the Van Records.
I Was Submerged is a pensive half-hour set chock full of multi-layered guitars and mysterious, echoing vocals à la Band of Horses — check out the lilting melancholy on lead track “Shaker” and the sinister tones of “Breathe Thin.” The band also offers a complex, intelligent retro vibe with the languid “Mass,” while the folk-tinged “Rafter” presents more ambient stylings akin to Canadian pop experimentalists Broken Social Scene. Don’t get down about so much doom and gloom, though; Tulsa’s bittersweet urgency finally breaks with the soaring golden pop of “I Feel Great.” A slack-jawed Tanton sings, “I’m in love for the first time / It feels great / Thanks for asking / I appreciate.” Ready to fall in love with Tulsa?
As some might suspect, Tulsa is not named for the Oklahoma city, but rather after a book of photographs by Larry Clark. According the band’s website, this book contains images of people with whom Clark grew up, who, in his opinion, epitomized apathy. Tulsa’s moniker represents the antithesis to this; Tulsa generates music and lyrics that communicate their intense passion for life.”