by Joel Parmer
Simply put, Salt Lick is a die-hard group of musicians within the Seattle DIY scene. Over the past half decade, the band has been sizzling and simmering a handful of slow-burn releases. Salt Lick never fails to impress live and have certainly elevated their songwriting and studio chops with their most recent release, The Gift of Missing.
The Gift of Missing was recorded, mixed, and produced by Dylan Hanwright (I Kill Giants, Great Grandpa) at 7 Hills, Whalehouse, and Wormhole Studios in the Seattle, Washington area. Hanwright has recently taken on the role as a second guitarist and backup vocalist in Salt Lick. Additionally, Rachel Field of Resonant Mastering took on mastering duties for the album.
Opening track, “Love 2 Love U” jumps straight into a twangy progression from guitarist Teddy Keezer and a calculated, grooved beat at the hands and feet of Kevin Middleton. Immensely catchy bass riffs by Ian McQuillen set up a jam that just about hinges on singer Malia Seavey’s powerful as hell vocal performances. The song wastes no time introducing a signature chime of psych-infused indie pop. The album opener builds into a saturated alt-country landscape that is epic and massive but not an easily attained, cliche sort of heavy.
A reliability and sense of collaborative thinking continues throughout the entire span of The Gift of Missing. Each individual part clicks together with another, like a perfectly laid brick structure; a structure with a foundation built on a mutual respect of songwriters. It’s evident that there’s an understanding between the members of Salt Lick. No one feels the need to step on the heels of another.
However, the recipe for a great Salt Lick song is multifaceted. Nearly detuned textures show up in the single “Hothouse Flowers” and atmospheric elements crawl around songs like “Blue Car,” “Cold Karma,” and the album’s title track. “(Don’t) Bring Me Down” features heavily driven instrumentation in congruence with surprisingly melodic and tender moments.
As with many dynamic album closers, the final song, “At the Corner,” slightly departs from the album while remaining cohesive. This is the band’s second pass at the song having previously recorded a more “full band” rendition a few years ago. “At the Corner'' tiptoes into ballad territory. It delves deep into acoustic guitar driven chords, soaring slide guitar, and delicately abrasive louder sections.
The Gift of Missing manages to be straightforward by nature yet teeming with nuance upon re-listens. Lyrics throughout are focused and vivid while leaving plenty of room for listeners to take from it what they will. This Post-Trash premiere offers up a chance to listen to The Gift of Missing a day early, as it officially releases August 19, 2022 via Den Tapes. Seattleites can catch Salt Lick’s release show for The Gift of Missing tomorrow, 8/19, at Clock Out Lounge in South Seattle.