It’s strange to think that I have been privy to – from thousands of miles away even – the evolution of Oakland band Waterstrider for such a long time. Even though they’ve released their debut full length record Nowhere Now, the band is still adjusting and configuring their lineup in exciting ways. But before arriving in their current six person live setup, the band’s gone through a handful of incarnations. Past members have come and gone for one reason or another (all amicably I might add) but apparently some never stopped making music. One of them is guitarist Alex Siegel who’s solo endeavors have been cosigned by the band he was once apart of.
“Body Language” finds Alex Siegel crafting a tune that while not wholly divorced from the world infused pop of his former musical companions is far from just a facsimile. “Body Language” comes off with an effortless chill that belies the many layers of Siegel’s composition which are all presented with impressive clarity. Though stacked horizontally on top of each other, they still manage to lock together without obscuring any of the other moving parts. The track moves casually – almost clocking in at a minute before the entrance of Siegel’s vocals. Siegel arranges the track with patience – never competing with himself and instead pursuing vocals or gradually complicating guitar riffs. It’s not quite minimalistic but manages to lock you in in a very similar fashion until its unexpected end.
In terms of his previously released endeavors “Body Language” is the outlier from his more folkier and lyrical output like his recently released Good Leg EP but it’s a welcome change of pace even if it turn out to be a one-off musical experiment.
