thePULSEBands You May Not Have Heard of Yet…But You Will!
Want To Get Your Dance On? The Westward Trail will show you how…
December 2005 –
I’m sitting on an awkward, backless red seat, forced to lean forward towards the couch in front of me. Sitting on that couch is The Westward Trail, 2 guys who have the physical appearance of grown men but the honest eyes and fidgeting hands of 13 year old boys getting ready for their first school dance.
This initial impression made me tilt my head and go, “Huh?!” But then when I asked the two enigmas about their infamous argyle sweaters, their rolling eyes and chuckles of “Oh man, not again” made me inexplicably more comfortable. Their music has the same vibe, that same kind of effect on first-time listeners. With all lyrics and music written by Joe Wawrzyn and Jake Dempsey (the only two human components of the band), the music has a certain familiar feel that’s semi-nostalgic and puts a semi-secretive smile on your face. But there’s a difference between the normal nostalgic soundtracks that we’ve all heard and the band The Westward Trail. And that one difference would be…everything.
Honest, but with a hint of something still hidden, the duo uses surprisingly few tangible instruments to produce such an originally radiant sound. This “object minimalism” is the very thing that allows these guys to travel around New England as much as they do, hitting Worcester hotspots like Lucky Dog and Ralph’s Chadwick Square Diner with increasing frequency. Armed with only two guitars and an IPOD (which holds their home-made synth beats), The Westward Trail blasts the audience with a wave of danceable beats and beer requests. The audience returns the energy with plenty of dancing and excited participation, and why wouldn’t they? The lyrics contain no blatant advertising or cheesy one liners that some teenie bopper girl would put in her profile or in her diary.
Despite listing influences like Talking Heads, Guided by Voices, and Belle and Sebastian on both their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/thewestwardtrail) and their regular website (www.westwardtrail.com), their sound is “nothing like any of those bands.” So again, I looked at the guys with that same “Huh?” Jake explained, “Our influences aren’t so much what we think we sound like as much as they are the bands that have become so much a part of us that they are permanently running through our subconscious…and hold that subliminal influence on our overall lyrics and sounds.” Despite not feeling that their sound can be considered “like” another band’s, they do admit that the comparison to The Postal Service is arguably a reasonable one, something they “…accept with both respect and doubt.”
Like true musicians, Jake and Joe’s goal is to be original in their sound, not just “some generic MTV byproduct.” The verdict? They’re achieved their goal in spades and give an original live show that is anything but derivative or processed. Gone is any sign of shyness or fidgeting ~ these guys are beyond energetic on stage from start to finish.
So if you’re wondering who still dances at live shows, I’ll tell you. The Westward Trail fans do…catch one of TWT’s shows and you’ll know why!
The Westward Trail: December 23rd at Ralph’s Diner, 9pm 21+
