Great Lake Swimmers: "Your Rocky Spine"

With every release, Great Lake Swimmers get less lo-fi and nudge a little closer to the mic. The upcoming Ongiara is no different, recorded with more clarity and not so much dependence on reverb. It's a move that doesn't give the band anywhere to hide, a move that occasionally leads to awkwardness. Ongiara is full of warm, pretty songs that tend to get comfortable and forget what they were doing; "Your Rocky Spine" is not one of them. The track plays to all of singer/songwriter Tony Dekker's strengths, showcasing his aching voice and rustic folk instrumentation in a businesslike country two-step. The band meshes well with its frontman here, ornamenting his simple chord changes with a prickly banjo part and additional guitars. Dekker's melody, while not particularly adventurous, rides the song like a satisfied train conductor. If only all of his songs had so much verve.