Ball of Wax 35 Songs: Bandolier – “Steady Love”

Bandolier gets things off on the right foot with the iconic pum—pum-pum-thwack! of the indestructible “Be My Baby” drum beat. Almost immediately gritty synth organ and a tinny melodic figure (a guitar with tremolo?) emerge below reedy vocals singing “[I] turned to see her leave / I thought she looked at me.” Already we’re eyeballs deep in a classic boy/girl pop predicament, perfect for the love theme of volume 35.  As the song builds steam, the drummer sheds the Spector beat for straight fours and the singer reaches for an octave he can’t totally handle to deliver a chorus hook that’ll be lodged in my skull for days. This is great, amber-tinged power pop for fans of Big Star, Okkervil River and the Left Banke. I’m a little ashamed to admit that I was unaware of Bandolier before hearing “Steady Love,” but this song plus the fact that they cite the Aisler Set in their influences has me totally on board and excited to share the stage with them at the Ball of Wax Volume 35 release show – In Love with Love Valentine’s Day at the Lo Fi. You should totally come.