The new album from Chicago alt-pop outfit Santah, will, to steal a seasonal reference, make your small heart grow three sizes. Titled White Noise Bed, it’s filled with candidly emotional lyrics all backed by upbeat, dueling guitar riffs, simple bass and keyboard lines, and catchy drum beats.

The nearly three year old quintet is comprised of Stan McConnell and his younger sister Vivian both on guitar and vocals, Otto Stuparitz on Bass, Tom Trafton on keyboards and Steve Plock on drums. Taking pages from bands like Wilco, Fiery Furnaces and My Morning Jacket, Santah pulls together a complex sound that mixes various music genres including alt-country, soul, jazz and rock.

The album begins with a soft, yet driving tune called “Irish Wristwatch”. Leading in with classic shoegaze, clashing guitars, the song suddenly turns itself into a layered, yet simple piece featuring a picking, acoustic guitar and Plock’s steady beat on the kick drum. It picks up in the second half as Stuparitz’s bass comes in, sweetly accenting the fuzzy, grungy electric guitar in the background. Although it’s easy to hear the heavy influence of Wilco, there’s something intricate and beautiful about the song that makes it Santah’s own.

The band then shows just how multi-faceted they can be with “No Other Women”. Santah brings out the soulful side of them with Trafton heavy pounding piano and milking the organ, while the McConnells wail on the guitar. Over it is Stan’s bluesy, moaning, high-tenor vocals that claim, “No other women could dig in so far as you did to my core.” It’s delicately orchestrated and beautifully conveys a wealth of emotion.

Another catchy gem is “Cold Wave”. It once again displays the extent of Stan’s blues-style vocals and is backed by chimey, dueling guitars and layered with elaborate keyboard lines. It’s close to early Fiery Furnaces, but once again, holds it’s own as Santah’s creation. The album overall is beautifully made and the upbeat, happy attitude throughout make it feel like everything is going to be just fine.

To have a band bring in so many genre influences as Santah did and put together a cohesive and intelligent album is highly impressive. Santah is both a band for musicians and the masses. Plus, their name is just perfect for this time of year, isn’t it?
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Catch Santah on Wednesday, December 22, at the Schubas! Tickets are available at Schubas.com right now for only $8!
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Purchase and Stream White Noise Bed right now at Santahmusic.com.