[rating=2.00]
The Upwelling is a three piece New York City-based indie/pop/rock trio that delivers their music in a straight forward manner. Dominated by multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Ari Ingber, who, along with his brother Joshua Ingber on drums and Conor Heffernan on keys, create lush soundscapes decorated with crooning.
The vocals and lyrics are clearly designed to be at the forefront. Love songs sans symbolism are in abundance, such as “Paris” and “I Love That Girl” which, after complaining of not having money for rent, contains the cringe worthy line; “I’ve got everything I want/because your everything I’m not/Thank You.” Ari’s heart and memories are on his sleeve and while there is clear honesty; that honesty rests too heavily on the clutch of cliché. Being backed by strings, keys and mid-tempo guitar riffs doesn’t help things, as some songs devolve into sap.
The best tunes here are when The Upwelling avoids their drama/cliché trappings completely and pick up the tempo (“Wanderlust”) or gives into them completely (“Ladder 116”, “Who Needs You Now”). Unfortunately, though, An American Stranger occupy’s that nebulous middle ground too often.
