Inspiration can come from any number of sources. A romantic relationship, a pivotal moment in time, or a baby’s birth, these have all been the fuel in which many a musician has found his or her Muse. Yet, perhaps there’s no greater motivation for an artist than witnessing an injustice that occurs. And social injustice is exactly what motivates
Even in the very structure of the group is the band’s
emphasis on justice and equality seen as group founder and lead
singer/guitarist Rex Haberman actively sought to give fellow vocalist and
bassist Jenny Case a pivotal role.
“I have a strong
opinion about the status of women in music because I find it a really
male-dominated world,” he reveals.
A conversation with longtime friend and collaborator Matt
Kirkwold led to the suggestion of Case, who’d sharpened her skills fronting
many a cover band as well as her own while serving as the Executive Director of
the She Rock She Rock Foundation.
“We work together like we’re on a mission,” Haberman
explains. “Jenny has high standards. She’s a perfectionist in the studio and
really pushes the band’s performances. She’s super talented and highly
professional.”
The rest of the band is made up of a revolving crew of
talented Midwestern musicians but each brings their own flair and voice to the
group, aiding in garnering War Poets some solid acclaim, even in 14 short
months. In that time, the YouTube video for their first single, “Close Enough,”
has garnered 250K+ views and they’ve garnered national airplay on AAA and
college formats. Film and television licenses have come as well and the band
has had the opportunity to play at the Red Gorilla Music Festival during SXSW,
a perfect forum for their blend of Americana-flavored rock and lyrics of
protest and change.
On Dulce et Decorum
Est, War Poets engage a number of issues across two discs, seventeen songs
in all which is a feat that not many seasoned artists would try, let alone a
relatively new one. The band splits the tracks, filling one disc with their
rock edge while offering up a more subdued collection of ballads on the other.
The result is an expansive album that has both hits and misses.
Most of the hits come by way of the “Rock” disc, the band
well earning their comparisons to acts like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,
Bruce Springsteen, and Fleetwood Mac as they roar through tracks like “Don’t
Look Back” with its muscled guitars and Haberman’s rich vocals or “Dominica’s
Been Sent” and it’s rich tapestry of sound and Case’s stunning rock vocals. “Good
Company” is a great jam, the old school honkytonk rock ‘n’ roll feel perfectly
delivered with Jerry Lee Lewis-flavored keyboard work while “Another Lie” holds
the most contemporarily accessible sound, Case’s bright delivery giving the song
extra legs. And “Close Enough” is a track that captures the best of the band,
highlighting both their solid musicianship which is almost jazz-like in the way
they ebb and flow, allowing each part to sing, and their intentionally pointed
lyricism as they offer a musical statement in support of same-sex marriage.
On the other hand, the band’s “Ballad” side doesn’t quite
hold as much power, tracks like “Montserrat” and “Paint You the Sun” reading as
pleasant but offering little to come back to. “Running Back to You” suffers a
similar fate but the stark piano and Jenny Case’s plaintive vocals on “Partly
Naked” make it a highly listenable track. Haberman makes use of a similar
tactic on the album closer, “Be Like You,” and it works nearly as well, his
delivery honest and heartfelt against the rich keyboard, ending on a high note.
War Poets are a gifted act with plenty to say. Dulce et Decorum Est is a record that is
ambitious, perhaps in some ways a little too ambitious, but is one that
showcases this band in many lights, most of them positive. Haberman and Case
show themselves to be able songwriters and their stable of rotating musicians
deliver solidly each time out. They’re a band that has all the pieces in place
for success; the next step is up to them.
