July 2 1998

by Pete Pachal
Watchmen
source unknown

OK, it's time to admit it. The Watchmen were stuck in a rut.
A good rut, but a rut nonetheless. After first tasting their music, most Canadians developed an affection for the likable band, but there seemed to be a silent consensus the Watchmen were a one-trick pony of sorts. The mid-1990s (Good Lord, is that the past already?) saw the Watchmen headline countless university concerts, sing endlessly about getting stoned in basements, and get a multitude of crowds dancing to the tune of their trademark jangly guitar. It's so-o-o-o catchy.
But these are new times for the Watchmen. They have a new label, a new album, and a new attitude. Musically, the band has become decidedly more relaxed on its latest release, Silent Radar. The change is so obvious - and so welcome - band members must be kicking themselves for using up the title Brand New Day on their previous album.
"It was time for a change," said the Watchmen's lead vocalist Daniel Greaves. "We had done three records with the other label (MCA) and relationships change. We're fortunate now to get picked up by another great label. We had the time to write a lot and just really prepare for the record and make the one we wanted to make."
Recorded in Seattle with a new producer, Silent Radar was something of an experiment for the Watchmen. Previously meticulous about their music, the band adopted an easygoing approach to recording and taped most of the songs in one or two takes - a style they couldn't have gotten away with anytime before.
"Yeah, it's a confidence," said Greaves. "After you record three albums, your fourth time in, you're less intimidated by the red (record) light, y'know. But just as a collective group, all of us felt really confident going in. We felt like we were going to nail it."
Fellow Watchman and guitarist Joey Serlin agrees. "With time, you just kind of know when to play, when not to play, when to leave that space," he said. "We did a lot of that on this record and it made for a much more intimate record."