Innocent Postcard - Is It Everything You'd Imagined

Innocent Postcard

Is It Everything You'd Imagined
​self-released; 2021

4.0 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Innocent Postcard is a studio project of J. Caleb Means. Means has worked with Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine) and Matt Talbott (Hum) on projects over his career. On his latest album entitled Is It Everything You'd Imagined, he worked with Roy Ewing (drums) and Paul Chastain (bass).

I was a teenager in the ’90s and ingested a lot of shoegaze and alternative bands like My Bloody Valentine, Hum, Sunny Day Real Estate and other like-minded artists. This was an easy album to appreciate due to the similar aesthetics. 

The production has an almost classic shoegaze type of implementation. Take for instance the vocals which sound like they are covered in a deep hall reverb and the guitars which shimmer and shine. The album benefits from exceptional production that’s consistent on every song making it feel very cohesive and singular.

The songwriting and melodies blend with the production to make a sweet throwback to one of the eras I appreciate most in music. There are twelve songs and a number of them which felt like highlights. 

The darker and almost post-rock infused “Contend” and more high energy “Limbs” were solid starts but “Salt” really got my attention. “Salt” is a lush and melancholy soundscape that bleeds with moments of beauty. The vocals are contained and for the most part stay in a single octave range but the music itself contains most of the dynamics. Great song.

“Belly of a Beast” is a good example of how to make shoegaze catchy and accessible. I loved the melodies here which are backed by a formidable rhythm section and walls of guitars that sound huge. That being said the dynamics are intact and the song can let go at times and let the song breathe.

“Dwelling” is another huge sounding song. There are moments on this song where the music seems to break from the seams. The vocals manage to peak their way through the mix even at times like this. If you can call any song a ballad it would be “Moments.” The song is free of percussion and concentrates on a more pensive and cerebral mood. Lyrically, the song seems to focus on broad existential topics.

One of the most straight rocking songs is “Drift” which absolutely soars while the closer “Wide Angle” is one of the more melancholy songs with some exceptional guitar patterns.

​This is a great album and fans of the aforementioned bands should enjoy this. Everything comes together from the production to the sequential order of the songs. Take a listen.

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