Quiet Life

This past Monday night, not one, but two Monday Night Football games were on, the Men’s Final of the US Open had just ended and the re-run of the House M.D. season finale that I didn’t see the first time had just started. I didn’t get to see any of these tube treasures, thanks to a storm knocking our satellite out of commission for the entire evening (and on into Tuesday evening as it turned-out).

What better way to pass the time than to pass the time than to listen to some new music? I have been enjoying a few tracks from Quiet Life’s upcoming album, Big Green (Safety Meeting Records). The few tracks that I have heard so far have offered me a competent mix of raucous garage rock (“Nighttime”), jangly, southern classic rock (“Storm Clouds”) and some more laid back and lo-fi acoustic tunes. Each of the tracks I have heard feature the fun and effectively reckless vocals of Sean Spellman. It’s the laid-back acoustic numbers that have stolen the show for me at this juncture. I know it’s easy (and pretty annoying for the most part, I’ll admit) to compare bands that straddle the line between rock, folk and country to Ryan Adams, but I think if you like Adams’ Heartbreaker album, you’ll dig this band. Similar to the Stephen Kellogg track from earlier this week, I was hooked on this song from the opening strums. Listen to “Cave Country” below and tell me you don’t love it when the acoustic guitar and harmonica blend so well together… - The Gobblers Knob

I came across a few tracks from Quiet Life (Myspace) a while back. I really enjoyed them and looked forward to hearing more sometime. Well, that time has come with the release of their newest EP, California Vacation.

As with the last batch of songs I listened to, the tracks here are a fun and loose collection that shows signs of California canyon-country, folk and a dash or two of Whiskeytown thrown in the concoction. “Downtown” is a raw, swinging and barn-burning hoedown, while “Games People Play” successfully shimmies in the Golden State sunshine. Call me crazy, but I think that the “Laurel Canyon Vibe” has become perhaps my favorite musical theme, when done effectively. The warmth of such a retro-fitted sound has served many great albums well as of late. A reworked “Cave Country” subtracts the jangly acoustic folk-rock in favor of a stripped down and more sparsely arranged version that meshes with the overall sonic theme. The vocals possess a vulnerable echo and are properly lo-fi and also suit the EP well as a whole. - Twangville

"Portland doesn't have a Laurel Canyon scene, but if it did, you could bet that Quiet Life would be the official house band." - Willamette Week

"Quiet Life sound like they stumbled from Big Pink, with a rambunctious roots sound that would make Robbie Robertson smile from ear-to-ear."
- Portland Mercury

Portland has proved a kind of creative mecca for just this sort of band, and since brothers Ryan and Sean Spellman relocated from the eastern states with their friend Craig Rupert, Quiet Life has gradually blossomed into something of a fixture in Portland’s discerning rootsy crowd. - Oregon Music News

"Their EP displays a penchant for friendly and enthusiastic experimentation with their sound, alongside of a strong sense of what definitely works...makes you perk up and say - who is this again...?"
-Performer Magazine
- Performer Magazine

"Quiet Life sounds a bit like Neil Young crossbred with the DNA from Polvo. Loads of crunchy guitars and mind ripping mood/tempo changes."
-The Noise Boston, Issue ..242
- The Noise Boston

"Imagine the looseness and reluctant tension of Pavement's "Heaven Is a Truck", with rough yet clearly youthful vocals...Tasteful leads and smart harmonies..."
-The New Haven Advocate
- The New Haven Advocate

"I still haven't got around to listening to the Boss. Bands like Quiet Life make me think I probably should."
- 3hive.com - 3hive.com

"Pleasant chord progressions, soft harmonies, and enough of a Southern wail to double check the band's Connecticut address."
- Chattanooga Times Free Press