Hailing from Washington D.C, Roof Beams make a poppy Americana that is somewhere along the lines of The Avett Brothers and Okkervil River. The band have been around for some time, releasing three albums and two EP since their formation in the early 00s, but Tectonics sees a slight change of tone. Frontman Nathan Robinson wrote this EP at home, during evenings when his wife was at night school and his daughter was asleep, and this gives the record a reflective bent and quieter registers. “Being a dad has impacted how I look at a lot of things,” Robinson said. “Things take on a more positive, universal tone.”
Their name is inspired by J.D Salinger’s book Raise High the Roof Beam Carpenters (they were formerly known as Raise Up Roof Beams), and the EP has a literary feel, with a earnest lyrics and a strong storytelling element that remind me of Graham Wright’s solo work. Certain lines stick with you and demand further thought, quite obviously metaphors or references that needs to be figured out. For example, the refrain at the end of ‘Foxholes’:
’I’ve been digging,
I’ve been digging,
I’ve been digging foxholes for atheists.
She wrote me a letter
asking how down I could get
digging foxholes.
I wrote her an answer
more than one decision I’d regret
digging foxholes.’
This example comes from an aphorism attributed to war correspondent Ernie Pyle, and I’m sure there are many more to explore and read up on. The EP is full of little things like this that unravel with repeated listens, and is well worth your time.
<a href=“http://roofbeams.bandcamp.com/album/tectonics” data-mce-href=“http://roofbeams.bandcamp.com/album/tectonics”>Tectonics by Roof Beams</a>
Tectonics is out now, and can be purchased via Bandcamp.