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."