Album Review: In the Audience - What Lives

It is impressive enough when a group of young musicians put out a great album, but it is even more impressive when they put it out on their own record label. Self proclaimed “Indie pop collective” In The Audience have done just that. Hailing from Portland and Toronto, their debut album ‘What Lives’ was released earlier this month on New Friends – a label co-founded by band members Jordan Stowell (vocals) and Sonia Sturino (keyboards) in 2009 when they were just nineteen. Well, I say band members. The only two consistent members of In The Audience are Jordan Stowell and Cam Jones (drums), with other musicians weaving in and out of the line-up as and when.

Artists such as Anathallo and Land of Talk are listed among their influences, but their sound is more akin to Tigers Jaw, with vocals often evocative of Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters/ Sun Kill Moon). In the Audience share the energetic, blue-collar aesthetic of The Ataris or Gaslight Anthem, and the cover of ‘What Lives’–a black and white snapshot of a typical suburban American neighbourhood – could not be more befitting for songs that are wrapped up with relationships, identity, growing up, and growing old. Despite everyone involved with this band being born in the 1990’s, their songs come across as mature and well crafted.