Harriet
American Appetite
Reviewed by: Adelie Salagnac
Formed in 2011 when songwriter and keyboard player Alex Casnoff decided to leave Dawes and Papa, Harriet is a four-piece band from the City of Angels. Releasing its first promising EP, Tell The Right Story, in 2012, and at that, getting a feature in L.A. Weekly, the band, now composed of Patrick Kelly (bass), Henry Kwapis (drums), and Matt Blitzer (guitar) along Casnoff, is ready to offer up its debut full-length, American Appetite. One thing for sure is that it definitely whetted my appetite for any upcoming project Harriet might have.
Produced by Sean O’Brian, who worked with The National or Jeff Bridges, and Tony Berg, known for his work with Nickel Creek or The Replacements, American Appetite is weirdly appealing and punchy.
Opening up the album is “American Appetite” with a slow intro that helps building up tension and anticipation. Harriet delivers a diverse record, and proves how much the band’s sound has evolved in a four-year span. Splattered with profound, echoing vocals, and computerized sweeps, the album finds itself somewhere in between indie rock and progressive pop.
Showcasing the band’s eccentric touch, Harriet’s full-length is a combination of various influences, genres, themes and tones, with an almost magical, eerie nature. Dealing with themes such as alienation and fear, American Appetite is however full of sincerely fun and light-hearted songs, with compelling hooks, and catchy melodies. You soon catch yourself tapping your feet to the beat of “Ten Steps” or “Irish Margaritas”, and wanting to dance like no one’s watching, while Casnoff sings about lost romance. A contrast that further nourishes the peculiarity and quizzicality of the band.
With most of the songs being loud, intense and powerful, Harriet however manages to deliver simple, sincere and mellow tunes, like personal favorites of mine, “Richer” or the well-known “Burbank”, for which the band released a music video months ago. Refined and subtle, those songs are of the kind that makes one self feel a lot of emotions all at once, setting an undeniable melancholy – a side of the band that would deserve to be explored further.
Groovy and refreshing, sometimes even jazzy, American Appetite would be the perfect summer record – hopefully it will bring some warm Cali vibes during your cold winter days.
Rating: Listenable
