Hello Reader,
Welcome back. We hope that you’ve enjoyed this week’s content on SWT.
Today, we’re going to delve into Michigander. This project was created in 2014 and is led by Jason Singer, the band’s songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and, fittingly enough, a Michigan native. Who is now based in Nashville. Musicians Aaron Senor (drums, backing vocals), Jake LeMond (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Connor Robertson (bass guitar, backing vocals) round out the band during live shows and touring.
Michigander’s first single, “Nineties,” was released in late April 2016, which was followed by additional singles, “Mexico” and “ATL,” building both airplay and streams for the band, which led to some touring. Their first collection of music was released in 2018 in the form of the Midland EP, followed by Where Do We Go From Here EP (2019), a third EP, Everything Will Be OK Eventually (2021), which elevated the band further with its often played songs, “Misery” and “Let Me Down”. In 2023, they released a fourth EP, It Will Never Be The Same.
I first heard of Michigander with the single “Superglue” that I heard on my local left-of-the-dial indie station while driving (yeah, I still listen to the radio) in late 2022. It was a beautiful introduction that hooked me instantly to my Midwest-born and bred ears. He accomplished this connection without trying to sound like many great artists I had heard before in the 2000s and early 2010s as a foundation but built a fantastic song with an anthemic sound, catchy earworms, and feel-good melody vibes. Some might say summery. Others would say it’s a great year-round song. This song put the band on my radar and had me excited to hear more.
After four EPs, Michigander is releasing their first full-length album, Michigander, on Friday, February 7th, via Totally Normal/Thirty Tigers Records for your listening pleasure. Via the album’s press release, Singer said, “The last 10 years were awesome. Everything built up to this point, though. To make an analogy, the EPs were like television episodes of my story, and the album is the movie version. It’s blown up on the big screen. I’m just getting started, but this is my introduction to the world.”
And now for some hype for your ears and eyes from Michigander’s YouTube channel:
The backdrop of birds in the visualizer for the song “Emotional”:
(All credits and rights to Michigander)
The lovely greenery serves as the background for the lyric video for the song “Peace of Mind”:
(All credits and rights to Michigander)
The multi-stage performances for the video for the song “Giving Up”:
(All credits and rights to Michigander)
Michigander, the self-titled debut full-length album, is Singer’s best work yet. It sees him at his most reflective, and the result is a series of songs that showcase his songwriting growth and development. Most of the songs illustrate fully developed ideas. He and the band’s compositions take it to another level within this album. The melodies are spectacular, providing something for everyone without trying to appease the masses. From anthems to quieter bedroom sounds, there is no shortage of choruses, earworms, hooks, and refrains for you to quickly learn and then memorize. And stick with you as you examine and then dissect the lyrics and the songwriter’s perspective and intent. The album has a lot of energy and several songs that will sound fantastic live while the band tours. I think Jason Singer is great by himself but becomes incredible while collaborating with other musicians and songwriters. This album has several examples of how they elevate his songs with their contributions and that he’s wise to enable their collaborations, present and in the future, alongside creating solo work. There’s nice production and sonic quality throughout this album. Kudos all around.
The opening song, “Broadcast,” begins quieter in terms of Jason Singer’s vocal delivery, which is paired with some overlapping synth sounds. The vocals are not hushed to what you’d hear in a bedroom recording, but the volume is quieter to start. The lyrics are explorative and become obstinate as the melody and the vocals begin to match in choral form. It’s a lovely co-mingling moment as the song builds, adding some gorgeous brass and keys, elevating the song with richness before a slow fade out.
The next song, “Emotional,” jumps out of the gate with a rocket-paced melody. I think of The Smashing Pumpkins driving around town, having fun, and causing a little chaos in their video for “1979”. But that’s probably not the best pacing for this gem of a song. Listener, what comes to mind for you? The guitar and drum work is more pop in nature than the previous track. This melody picks up speed, and Singer’s vocals are also delivered at an increased pace. The chorus is a firmly planted earworm that centers around Singer’s defiant and accepting lyrics.
“Peace of Mind” follows after the previous song, “Emotional,” with some great 90s and maybe early 00s pop punk vibes. At least, that’s what I hear in the melody instrumentation and pacing. Some jangly guitars, strong toms on drums, and acerbic vocals. You definitely hear the influence of renowned producer/musician Butch Walker (Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy) whom the song was co-written with.
“Giving Up” begins with a great toe-tapper of a beat. Dare you not to. Impossible. The guitars interplay beautifully here. This song sounds like it would be amazing to hear and see live, and it should be a crowd favorite on tour. Again, the resolute lyrics during the chorus are earworms and easy enough for the crowd to repeat with some defiance in tone.
The beginning of “Letterman” is a slight derivation in sound as it starts with a clapped synth-sounding beat before Singer vocalizes and the drums join on key. The lyrics are a great homage to life in the past, with some sadness in tone. There’s particular reverence for David Letterman. As a late-night TV fan, I can relate.
Do you like piano? Who doesn’t, right? The melody to “Breaker Box” is anchored by the tickling of the ivories as the piano chords become grander and triumphant. Conversely, Singer’s vocal delivery remains more melancholy, resulting in a juxtaposition of mood at times throughout the song. “Breaker Box” serves as a metaphor in Singer’s lyrics and the several melodic shifts within the song keep you on your toes while making some wonderful music.
“Spitting Image” opens with a tremendous heartbeat-paced melody before it eases down into a multi-instrument jam. There’s some excellent bass guitar work here along with piano and a lot of energy. The lyrics again match the vocals in terms of ferocity, questioning, and examining one’s perspective.
I like the 2000s vibes that open the song “I’ll Be OK.” At least, that’s where my brain goes. What do you hear, listener? The song is a quick dance that moves and pans and grooves at times. The vocals spoken through a phone receiver effect about two-thirds into the song add a nice touch and add to the now old-school vibes. The vocals also dance to your ears in terms of how they’re delivered and when what I would further describe as an echo and almost call and-response-like.
If you were in need of more piano in your ears while listening to this album, “Important” will scratch an itch. Singer’s vocals are perfect for the piano and bass guitar-driven groove, which combine to reward the listener once again. Incredibly done. Again, this should be a fan favorite live and is one of the best-sounding tracks on the album.
Percussion and background talking kick off the song “Episode,” adding elements we haven’t heard on this album to this point. The melody breaks it down, adding more instrumentation, including a brief moment of wall-of-sound guitar work to pair with Singer’s vocals.
“Socialite” is the most traditional modern rock-genre-sounding melody on this album. It is especially intense in the beginning, as the guitar and drums catapult out of the gate, creating something fierce and charging. Singer’s vocal tone is weary and delivered with saccharine, which pairs well with the melody.
The closing song on Michigander, “Hair,” features a melody led by bass guitar and piano. It’s an interesting combination on the surface, one that may puzzle skeptics, especially bass haters, but in these tones, it works well. Both instruments get their chances to shine, as do Singer’s vocals and lyrics, which offer not only a great chorus and refrain but also a last chance to leave lasting parting thoughts to ponder.
Michigander gets 4.5 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. To me, the album falls in the lower range of the category. Yet that would find it in the 84th-87th percentile of all new 2025 releases at year’s end. There’s a lot to like in this release from start to finish, from the melodies to the lyrics to the vocals and instrumentation and everything in between. This is definitely worth adding to your collection on the format of your choosing, but I will recommend that vinyl is one of those formats.
Michigander Track listing (song length)
- Broadcast (3:30)
- Emotional (3:26)
- Peace of Mind (2:39)
- Giving Up (3:14)
- Letterman (3:24)
- Breaker Box (4:02)
- Spitting Image (3:04)
- I’ll Be OK (3:22)
- Important (3:09)
- Episode (4:11)
- Socialite (3:00)
- Hair (4:19)
Total runtime: 41:30
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. From start to finish, the listening process with Michigander will take just over 40 minutes. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, I found the songs highlighted in green font above to be my favorite songs on this album.
Michigander’s site, which features a lovely merch shop and includes current tour info; he’s opening for Dawes, is linked right here. If you want to delve deeper into the discography with the older songs, head over to their Bandcamp page. The band’s most active socials include Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify pages.
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
