I guess nobody wanted to make $2.00. Because when I wrote about The Extensions’ terrific LP last year, I put the offer out. It still stands.
But in case you missed that article, I’m one of Brian Erickson’s college friends, and one thing he is almost never quiet about is the fact that he didn’t actually start singing and playing guitar until close to the end of his time there. But once he started, it was like a brush fire in a drought. Songs started pouring out and twenty years on, seemingly haven’t stopped. We played together often and some of my best memories in music are from that time.
The years start coming and they don’t stop coming, as the song says. And while never stopped playing, priorities shift for some among us. But whenever I see Brian release something new, I get excited that my old friend (who I definitely taught to play some of those fancy chords) is still at it. And now we have this little tradition that keeps us in conversation. He sends me his records, and I send him back my thoughts which this blog has been kind enough to publish.
So, just as we did last year with High Charisma, here are my thoughts on 2024’s Gravitas…
Intro – Let’s gooooooooo!
Say I Can – Great groove; I’m hooked immediately! I can say that this chorus will be in my head for the rest of the week. The guitar stabs in the verse surround the vocal melody so perfectly that the toe-tapping catchiness doesn’t exist solely when the chorus comes around. This song wouldn’t be out of place on a recent album from your favorite old emo band that’s now churning out some time-tested Dad Pop-Punk! There’s just enough edge to make you feel nostalgic for a time when you could dance without that ache in your joints.
Day I Don’t – The lead guitar makes me feel like I’m heading for a Modest Mouse-style alt-rocker before jumping into a spacey Talking Heads-type verse. But when you get to the chorus, the two are wedded together beautifully: 80s and 00s. I’m calling a contractor to get an estimate on a dancefloor installation for my house.
Waiting on the Rapture – Wait. Cancel the dance floor, open up the pit, and order me a whiskey instead. This riff rocks and would fit a Dan Auerbach-backed project of any sort. Crank it up, pour me a drink, and bring on the Four Horsemen. The end is nigh!
You’re a Star – The versatility of this band is staggering if you think about it. The piano leads us into the verse, Cold War Kids-style, before dropping us off into a Jeff Buckley bridge that I wish lasted longer.
Bridesmaid Dress – Thought we were headed for a full-on ballad here, but then I’m taken back in time. This one needs The Extensions in blank and white at a diner with a tabletop jukebox. All the pieces weave in and out, showing you just how much The Extensions’ musicianship really drives the band. Listening to this one shows me how each member checks their ego in service of the song.
Day I Don’t II: Judgment Day – Brian’s voice on this makes you realize he knows his instrument and how to adapt it to whatever the song calls for. You may not realize it at first, but he’s been doing it this whole record. And for this final song, he’s joined by the other three singers in the band, showing us once and for all that The Extensions take their individual strengths and mold them into a sort of collective brilliance on every song. My lighter ignites as this encore sends me home happy for the six song journey I just experienced.
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