Bits of Alan is an indie rock band founded by singer-songwriter Greg Golbitz in 2014. It consists of multi-instrumentalists Fred Keller, Ethan Stauffer and drummer/producer Joe Venango. The band released their sophomore album, Slatland, today, an album that was inspired by the Rebecca Lee short story of the same name.
The album starts with a guitar and then a comforting voice in the way of the song ‘Blue and Green’ it’s a simple yet beautiful track. Lyrically he is thinking about a girl and what he remembers about her. The acoustic sound continues with the second track ‘Cooking Barefoot’ with more reminiscing in a hazy way. It’s a Lazy Sunday song that people can kick back, put their feet up and relax listening to.
Things get a little more upbeat in the next song ‘Hue’ with a chorus that’s ever so slightly compelling. The same themes run through the song but that’s to be expected with an album based on a short story. By the time we get to ‘Chloe,’ things have picked up even more, presenting us with a spring song, with spring being the season of new things.
As the album develops it opens up like a book for us to read, noticing extra little things the more and more you read it. Like a good book, you can easily snuggle up with this record late at night under the blankets, just taking the whole thing in. Then being transported into another place the way that any good author wants you to be.
This record mixes acoustic songs with full band songs at just the right amounts, its as if they’ve found the perfect formula. The album feels a little short but that’s because enjoying something always makes you crave more, however, the band feels it sits comfortably at 7 tracks.
Bits Of Alan want us to know “The album acts as a sort of introspection, including themes such as loss, unrequited love and remembrance” and they’ve certainly hit the nail on the head there. Hearing Slatland makes us want to dive into their back catalogue and consume as much of their music as possible.
Listen to the album below and see what you think
