Bundle - Keep for Cheap
Blending together indie, country, and rock styles into what they call “prairie-rock,” Minnesota band Keep for Cheap released their first LP, Bundle this past Summer. And just like the amalgamation of genres that make up the band, Bundle is a cocktail of love songs of varying styles that are presented neatly with a bow, delivering a rather warm feeling as you listen.
I originally knew the band from their first single, Day Without You, a song that I listened to so much in the Fall of 2021 that I had to put in the back burner for months to renew the experience of listening to it, I was surprised to hear more country roots throughout the 30-minute album.
However, it was a pleasant inclusion, as it mixes seamlessly with the rock sound of the electric guitar and drums, and the band isn’t afraid to mix up tempos and sounds.
The album starts strong with Segway, a catchy track with nostalgic lyrics yearning for the listener to tackle life with an adventurous spirit, as it is, as a whole. The upbeat tempo continues onto The Time, as the lyrics begin to embrace the themes of love more and more, speaking of opening up to your loved one in the more tender Hide My Emotion.
Bundle is about the relationship of the two lead vocalists who had been together for 3 years by the time of release. The songs tell the tale of their budding romance and the story is perhaps most prevalent in the brilliant On the Floor, a sentimental ballad about embracing feelings for the one you love.
The album continues on with Checkout, featuring electric guitars that feel straight from Billy Gibbons in the best way possible, and the complimentary tracks Aside and Beside, speaking of a sweet and tender sunset and later sunrise with each other.
The album concludes with the surprisingly poetic Fish Piss, about embracing the ugly sides of love because, after all, “Fish piss then they lay their eggs.” I wasn’t expecting the song titled Fish Piss to be as charged or as enjoyable as it is, and as it stands, it is one of my favorites of the album.
Bundle accomplishes it’s goal: it serves as a small collection of love songs all wrapped up and given to the listener as a gift, and like any good gift, it delivers that warm and fuzzy feeling that is especially welcome now, in the cold winter months.
