If there’s one thing this country needs more of, it’s family-like bands that people see as cultish institutions. AgesandAges fit the bill rather nicely, but in a good way, and not so much a Heaven’s Gate kind of way.
The band plays a very esoteric nuance of indie folk, the kind that sounds like it was recorded in the early ’70s. One might compare the band to a younger, hipper Fleetwood Mac, but it has a few tricks up its sleeve that Stevie Nicks and company never attempted.
For starters, the band features eight members and an array of noisemakers more reminiscent of Latin percussion than any kind of throwback rock. Well, that and the fact that the band features seven vocalists.
Yes, that’s correct. And unlike endless amounts of bands with staggering amounts of musical resources and minimal deployment, AgesandAges actually utilizes its stable of crooners, often all at the same time—a feat not usually pulled off well when it’s attempted.
That isn’t to say that AgesandAges’ army of vocalists is exploited maybe once or twice. Instead, the platoon of singers is at the forefront for the bulk of AgesandAges tracks. Take the band’s single “Souvenir,” for example. The entire track is laden with any and all melody-equipped members, and the song ends up sounding like a kindergarten sing-along in the best, most moving way possible.
If you’d like to see all this for yourself, come on out to an AgesandAges show. The band would be more than happy to induct you into its family.