Plus Tapes

People associate music with geography. Bands are often lumped with cities, and while some may argue this is solely because of a particular “hip scene”, Chicago’s Distractions actually portray the reality of Midwest big city living in their deep space tones, jangling chords, and thick vocals.

It’s not to say they aren’t part of a scene in the Windy City. Distractions have proven themselves to be an honest, creative, and downright innovative band, thus garnering respect and adoration across Chicagoland.

But here I must stop. It would be unfair to sing Distractions public praises not because they come unearned, but because the band’s real power and importance lies in the trenches of thoughtful song composition, powerful musicianship, total originality, and – of course – healthy Midwest mindsets.

Tom Owens, principal singer and songwriter, doesn’t fight to be different. Instead, he pushes towards an honesty in music that seems to have fallen short as of late. While their myspace claims an “R&B/Lounge/Surf” description, in actuality, Distractions drive towards a multitude of genres unabashedly and comfortably. A dash of British Invasion, a healthy dose of Brian Wilson, equal parts post-punk and 70’s pop rock all filtered through an outer space, Spector-esque wall of sound. Owens has assembled a group of sonic wizards behind his pleasingly bizarre sorcery, creating a completely original Chicago sound.

Take a song like “Please Slow Down,” off their self-titled debut. A song about aging, it builds with intense force, bouncing between frustration, joy, and sorrow with seamless ease. When the song springs into frenzy, Owens belts with conviction “Remember this when you’re older, everything used to be OK.” And you want to believe him, but the lyrics don’t ask to be believed. Instead “Please Slow Down” cracks open a truth about life that language can’t quite capture. – a truth bled through noisy guitars, 60’s psychedelics, and mature seamless song writing. It’s the whole package – the vocals and lyrics melt into the sonic landscape Distractions call Chicago. It’s something eerie, distinctive, and interesting: good music.