Write-up by David Haynes
Every city seems to have its own sound, influenced by its flora and fauna. For L.A., it’s the ocean breezes and Sunset Strip. For N.Y.C., it’s the crowded streets and the constant glow of a city that never sleeps. For Dayton, OH, it’s the converted warehouses and factories – which is exactly where The Boxcar Suite recorded their fantastic new single “Lit Hunk.”
Dayton has long been a hub for indie rock, with bands like Guided by Voices and The Breeders calling it home-sweet-home. The Boxcar Suite, led by Tim Pritchard, carry on in the great tradition of those bands. “Lit Hunk” is full of resounding power chords, infectious melodies, and angst-ridden vocal performances. The opening moments of “Lit Hunk” sound just like the first song in a loud, raucous live set. The mere seconds that a band has to win over an audience. And The Boxcar Suite excel at creating those magic moments. Moving from urgent punk to 60s, Byrds-esque harmonies with ease, The Boxcar Suite craft songs with the energy of a band that’s been jamming together for years. It just sounds so natural.
“Lit Hunk is a caricature of the human condition we stumbled upon during a late night session at our studio space”, Tim Pritchard remarks. “I’m not sure any of us can exactly identify what that is, because quite frankly, the human condition is so confounding. I think it’s essentially about the inability of our society to focus on the most important parts of life, whether that be science or art, the things that have the potential save us from each other and from ourselves.
It’s a song I brought the bones for, lyrics and a basic structure, and we fleshed it out during rehearsals. The song itself came to me rather quickly and it’s one of those I barely had to think about before it was solid enough to jam through. Sometimes the best ones appear from the depths of sub conscience.”
“Lit Hunk” is the first single off of their upcoming record Every Side of the Abyss, and today we are excited to premiere it here on Glide. If this is how the rest of the record sounds, it’ll surely join the pantheon of great records out of Dayton. From classic rock to 90s indie rock to 80s punk, The Boxcar Suite cover the gamut of rock and roll on “Lit Hunk.” And, it seems like they aren’t even breaking a sweat.
LISTEN:
