by Attila Peter (@attila_peter23)
Cameron Wisch is something of an indie rock veteran. Devotees of the genre will know him from Porches’ early records, as a founding member of the long-running project Cende or, more recently, as one half of Dust Star. Three years after the release of Open Up That Heart, Dust Star’s first LP, he’s back with a new outfit, Soft Surface.
Though he started out as a drummer, Wisch took on lead vocals and guitars with Cende, and on Blue Dream, Soft Surface’s debut, he does it all: singing and playing guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and percussion. In addition, he also penned ten of the album’s 11 tracks (and co-wrote the remaining one, “What Love Is,” with Greta Kline, aka Frankie Cosmos). All of which is to say that, over the years, Wisch has grown both as a musician and as a songwriter. But for all the rhythmic precision and nuance he honed in his previous bands, this time around he favors simpler, warmer songs that focus on feeling and melody.
The album doesn’t challenge the framework of indie rock; tempos hover in mid-range and the emotional register rarely strays from wistful longing—but it’s a conscious choice. Its strength lies in the songs’ ability to stay with you, the way a good pop tune should. Take opener “I Try to Reach Out for Your Hand,” filled with ringing guitars and vulnerable lyrics (“I never meant to hang you out to dry / But when I feel into myself I know there’s something wrong”) that bring Sugar to mind. The song lays out the blueprint: the melodies shimmer and the words try to capture a sense of intimacy while also allowing for uncertainty.
Blue Dream recalls an era of guitar music when you didn’t have to hide sincerity behind irony. Think ‘90s alt-radio staples like “Hey Jealousy” by Gin Blossoms or Better Than Ezra’s “Good,” with crisp, sky-high hooks, but ‘60s jangle pop bands like The Byrds or The Association are never far from mind either. Complete with handclapping, a song like “Dizzy” could have been released anytime between 1965 and 1995, and the pedal steel is a welcome addition that nudges it beyond familiar indie rock territory.
Similarly, the guest features—Emily Yacina’s contribution to the string-streaked “Leaving It All Behind” and Frankie Cosmos’ turn on the gorgeous call-and-response “What Love Is”—broaden the record’s range. Still, only once do you have the feeling that Wisch and co. have more to explore further afield. Album closer “Isn’t Easy” trades chiming guitars for some relentless thrashing before it turns into what feels like an altogether different track, rounded out with a fuzzed-out solo and an outro that has an eerie resemblance to the ending of Weezer’s “Only in Dreams”. We’ll see if this flash of experimentation is a hint at things to come for now, Wisch is mostly sticking with what has always worked in pop: melodies that linger in your head.