Will Wakefield and the Congress Hotel
Apt. 306
Wakefield Records
Seattle's Will Wakefield definitely has a talent for taking sonic snapshots of the conflicted characters lurking inside his head. However, the singer/guitarist doesn't let his heightened abilities get the best of him in his third album, Apt. 306, which offers some of the best songwriting I've heard in quite a while.
Seemingly inspired by the best lyrical storytelling to be found in the 1970s, Wakefield and the Congress Hotel often choose the high road without alienating the average listener. Often raucous, sometimes sublimely refined, Apt. 306 blurs the line between blues-rock and jazz-rock; it's a supremely suitable companion for a quiet evening of cigarettes and scotch, or for a Saturday afternoon drive in search of misadventure.
Wakefield grew up in a rural prison town northeast of the Emerald City before heading to Boston to attend Berklee, which could partially account for the album's mixed bag of influences. Another reason for the organic, yet sophisticated sound could be that the band's talents and diverse interests probably match that of the frontman's. The rhythm section (Mike Stewart, B; Ty Creighton, D) is top-notch, while never flashy, while Chuck Edwards' lead guitar seems to be always in the right place, at the right time, with just the right tone. Nathan Spicer adds a shimmering layer of keyboards and organ to the cake, and the result is very, very tasty.
While the impossible-to-pin-down Congress Hotel can lean towards a meatier Toad The Wet Sprocket for one song, early Toto ("Hold The Line," not "Africa") the next, the 12-track CD's two best songs draw instant comparisons to those kings of intelligent pop, Steely Dan. The late-night lament, "Katherine" ("It's the last time you'll order coffee at three a.m.") could have been written for Donald Fagen's The Nightfly, and one would almost expect a cover of "Deacon Blues" or "FM" to follow the band's wistful power ballad, "Frankie The Drifter."
Besides sharing a cynical lyrical attitude and the uncanny ability to place the listener inside dimly lit diners and smoky bars, Wakefield's vocal phrasing can occasionally be eerily similar to Fagen's. While the former's pipes sound nothing like the latter's, Wakefield remains a gifted, distinctive singer whose voice is definitely the band's sixth instrument.
With and without the Congress Hotel, Wakefield has prowled about Seattle for most of this century, receiving local airplay while honing his craft. This independently released, yet superbly produced disc has proved that his creations deserve to be heard elsewhere, everywhere.
Will Wakefield and the Congress Hotel: Press
Some bands make a lot of noise, some
sing about ho’s, blow and 40s, a few don’t
sing at all. Luckily there are a handful of
musicians that send their message through
songwriting – bands like Counting
Crows, Ryan Adams, and Death Cab for Cutie
– through tales of life, love, loss and happiness.
Will Wakefield and The
Congress Hotel belongs with this group
of songwriters. Th is fledgling Seattle band
will perform on Saturday, October 14th at
9 p.m. at the Blue Spark. Cover for this 21
and older show is only $3 at the door.
Will Wakefield, songwriter for Th e
Congress Hotel, has been involved with
music almost all his life, heavily influenced
by his father William. The band’s name
is a throwback to his father’s old group,
“Th e Congress Hotel Blues Band.” With a
musical parent, there seems to be only one
possible outcome for their unsuspecting
children – they will grow up to become
musicians, for better or worse. While the
outcome is the same, the path is unique
– Wakefield chose a smart path that has
landed him increasing success.
Honing his skills on the Seattle club
scene while in high school, Wakefield
went on to earn a degree from the Berklee
School of Music in Boston (I’m glad to see
that at least one person in this world is putting
their degree to use). Returning to Seattle,
he found a job at Sub-Pop
records and started performing
solo gigs around the city. By
coincidence, he came across a
wandering band severely lacking
a front man – the two entities
combined forces and the
formula was complete.
The storyteller-type lyrics of Wakefield
are carefully blended with the chord heavy
rock of Th e Congress Hotel to form
non-obtrusive music that both showcases
and enhances the songs’ narrative threads
(translation: you can hear what Wakefield
is singing about without getting distracted
by overbearing instrumentation). The
songs, including those on the bands upcoming
release due out on November 11th,
are the stories of Wakefield’s life – a story
he will tell you one song at a time.
Will Wakefield and The Congress Hotel
will be making a stop on their Pacific
Northwest Tour in downtown Spokane
at the Blue Spark, 15 S. Howard Street.
While you’re there, be sure to order the
SiDEKiCK “Drink of the Issue,” which can
be found on page 23 of this issue.