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Cozy Danger put a lot of home into their forthcoming five-song EP, Yeah No For Sure. But home doesn't tend to be a one-note, straightforward place for most people. Emotions and experiences can range pretty wildly, which is something the band pulls off on the new collection despite the relatively brief run time.
"Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin are embedded into everything we do," said Jake Brandt, who handles drums and vocals. "From playing cards in the basement, trying to find balance in the city's alcohol culture — and failing sometimes — and even the pseudo-polka rhythms in songs like 'Walt Whitman,' we wanted this release to feel like it's got this place in its veins."
You won't find much oompah or accordion in our Milwaukee Music Premiere of "Westbound Vagabonds," which is probably for the best considering the heavier subject matter (not that polka can't go to dark places).
There are still elements of the band's jangly, garage-pop sound. But the song has a sort of chug-along quality to it as singer-guitarist Chris Vertovec works through some issues "about being stuck in an overwhelming situation and lying to myself about being OK with it, then only realizing that there was a lot of self-deception involved after being clear of that situation.
"The self-realization of compromising, not looking ahead and accepting it as reality made me dig deeper into a hole I didn't even realize I was digging."
You can hear the 3-minute, 26-second version of that emotional processing below and at a record-release show this Friday, Sept. 16, at Shank Hall.
