Portland, Maine’s An Overnight Low has a new record coming out in November.
Chad Walls, the band’s songwriter, envisioned a three album set bound by the topic of travel during a nine hour wait at Heathrow. This one, Piccadilly, is the penultimate release. This disc features the same producer, Jonathan Wyman, as well as a long guest list of Maine musicians.
The single, Magellan with a Timetable, bursts in at a healthy clip before it washes into a Byrds-like chorus. It’s one of those tracks that feels familiar before you know the words. It reminds me of those old Cracker CDs: you’re inspired to mime the words before you know them.
The b-side, Albert’s Square, feels like an undiscovered Beatles demo. I’m 90% sure that Paul McCartney was stuck in Heathrow that same day. “Working on a record are you? Well, I’ve got this melody kicking around…”
If the first record of the trilogy, Euston, had a folk rock heart, it’s seems that the second is heading for more of an early 70s Brit vibe. This fits given the subject matter. Maybe the final record, Waverley, will take on New Wave. It’ll be interesting to hear Euston, Piccadilly and Waverley together as if it were one release. Triple records of original material are a dying art form.