In the last decade, little ol’ Bloomington, Indiana has emerged as a surprising hub for indie music. Combine growing labels like Winspear and Secretly Canadian with a huge young adult and student population, and good things are bound to happen. Meet Bloomington’s newest boutique label – Darling Records – and their recent signing, Hales Corner. Made up of three recent IU grads, Hales Corner has just released their first single, “Garden View” – an exquisite piece of Sunday-slow-drive rock. Lilting male vocals, a little organ, some well-placed snare hits, bass and guitar: the band plants its feet firmly in no-frills production. But in this case, less is more; and the music glimmers with both a smile and a shrug.
The lyrics match the dazed, lazy beat of the song – a little alienation, a familiar existential fear of growing up. The song’s name derives from a short refrain: “That’s all right, I’m okay/ A small one bedroom, with a garden view.” A sort of charming, Midwestern resolve that sighs, “Things sort of suck, but they could definitely suck worse.” However ambivalent the song may seem, it’s undeniably infectious. “Garden View” is the also the name of the full album, which is due out in May on Darling Records.
