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indie-snob>+!#
penturbia by troubled hubble
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8.5 Troubled Hubble is no stranger to the Chicago-based indie rock scene. However, if you love outside of the midwest, especially Chicago, good luck knowing of them. Playing in small bars and clubs of select cities, travelling in what seems to be their mother or father's van, TH becomes very charming. Lead singer Chris Otepka sounds straight out of Built to Spill vocals (no surprise that the band is listed on almost all TH member's "Favorite Bands" lists). With songs in the key of Chicago suburbs (with references to the government-based laboratory, FermiLab, on the cover), Penturbia hits the heart. Even is the songs do come off with more references to SUBurban culture than the TH philosophy of PENTurban, we still grow to love them. (Let me suggest that you buy the album to learn about the meaning of Penturbia, because it's a nice idea.) The fact is, though, that this band is so much fun. When I first saw them play with Ben Kweller in De Kalb in November, they had a painter on stage with them and began several line dances with the audience. The just-out-of-high-school look and sound captures such a wonderful essence through out their most recent, self-released album, Penturbia. Songs like "Nancy" and "Try to Find" capture a most wonderful guitar and lyrical sensibility. "I Love My Canoe," perhaps the almost guaranteed finale for the band's live routine and symbol of the band, is an enjoyable ode to geek-dom in it's most basic form. From the motorway-loving opener stating "When your fist hits the wheel / To drive is to feel" to the depressing, epitome of the 20-some, lines of "Work": "Work as hard as you can / earn your wage / find someone to come home to at the end of the day," you leave the album feeling more elated but strangely more sympathetic than when you arrived. The at-times emotional rock exerted by the young band is a really a great leap into the world of popular music. With influences ranging from Built to Spill to Mates of State (who are both magnificent bands), this album would probably be on my top 30 of the year. (Should I expand my list?) In what the band lacks in experience and ever-so-slightly talent, they make up with moving lyrics and songcraft. "The only constant thing in life is change... God forbid if something should stay the same." One can only hope that Troubled Hubble doesn't change, but only grows into the outfit they've already created for themselves. *NOTE: Penturbia is supposedly available at your local independent music retailer, but if you have trouble finding it, it's available on TH's website via CDbaby.com for 12 bucks, or at shows for 10. The link for the Troubled Hubble site is on my artist page. |