The Great Depression’s Forever Altered

The group’s elegance, melancholy atmosphere, and attention to detail are as prevalent as ever.
The Great Depression
The Great Depression(Tim Cameron)

When you name your band something like The Great Depression, you’re running some risks. Namely that folks will mistake you for some wannabe mall emo group — or some old-timey folk outfit.

The Great Depression, formed by Todd Casper and Tom Cranley in the mid ’90s, couldn’t be further from either one of those. The band has put out some of the finest alt-rock in recent memory. Albums such as 2006’s Preaching to the Fire and 2003’s Unconscious Pilot are full of atmosphere that’s as dark and brooding as it is elegant.

The group is currently wrapping up their latest full-length, Forever Altered, which will be released on Fire Records in early 2008. As a precursor, two new tracks — “Forever Altered” and “Stolen” — have been posted to the band’s MySpace page.

Both songs reveal that the group’s elegance, melancholy atmosphere, and attention to detail are as prevalent as ever. And both are strewn throughout with lovely little moments, such as the title track’s soulful backing choir and the suave, lounge-y tone and delicate outro on “Stolen.” Suffice to say, I can’t wait to hear the LP when it drops next year.

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