Air Waves: Parting Glances

There’s a right and wrong way to do innocence in indie rock. It’s actually a new concept, given how so much of the formative records in the genre’s inception are based in debauchery, snark, and other evil things. There’s still a place for innocence and wide-eyed joy, though, but indie artists have had a hard time being happy. There are a number of reasons for this: some like to temper innocence with sardonic wit in a way that undercuts any sincerity, while others write in a way that is so insular that enjoying their music becomes an impossible task unless you’re one of the artist’s close friends. It’s a difficult tightrope to walk, but Air Waves’ Nicole Schneit has managed to pull it off for a few years. As the singer/guitarist of Air Waves, Schneit has been pairing surprisingly complex lyrical conceits behind simple window dressing. The band’s latest album, Parting Glances, sees Schneit’s songs getting slowly more intricate and fleshed out. Crucially, though, that innocence and ebullience remains.

For years, while the band toured around the loft spaces and DIY venues of Brooklyn, Schneit’s songs tempered their comfort with a slight despondency. There wasn’t anything biting or cynical about this attitude; Schneit was being sincere about the plights of her life and those around her. Something happened between those days and the release of Parting Glances that changed her attitude. Whereas Air Waves’ previous album began with Schneit reacting with surprise at the merely being alive, she opens Parting Glances with “Horse Race”, which voices a determination to get moving, even if it’s only in her mind. Musically, “Horse Race” is pretty much what one would expect from this band, and the album follows suit until “Fantasy” comes around. A beautiful slice of dream-pop, “Fantasy” is one of the first Air Waves songs to suggest that there is more beyond their grounded simplicity. From there, it becomes a bit of a free-for-all as the band shift to alt-country (“Frank”) to fuzzed-out indie rock (“Thunder”, “Sweet Talk”). It’s not quite revolutionary, but it’s a significant step in a different direction, a sign that Air Waves are evolving.

In her lyrics, Schneit is exhibiting a sort of evolution to couple with how Air Waves change up their sound. In an indie scene that seems to be concerned solely with the truth and honesty of one’s artistic expression, Schneit has wholeheartedly embraced the role of the storyteller. “Frank” is a story cut from the mold of Nebraska-era Bruce Springsteen, albeit without that album’s nihilistic themes. Her command of narrative songwriting is a little shaky, but she doesn’t embarrass herself at all. Elsewhere, she finds clever ways to spin her emotions, comparing her restlessness to playing the ponies on “Horse Race”. Again, it’s fairly simple, but it’s effective all the same.

In many ways, Parting Glances is a throwback in the best possible way, one based around songcraft rather than trying to recapture an era of cool. The band’s defiance of current indie trends ends up being their greatest asset, setting them apart amongst a sea of lo-fi also-rans who find themselves way too interesting. Sometimes, how you tell the story is just as crucial as the story itself.