Catholic Radio – “Rain Is Done”

“Rain Is Done” is an exceptional track from Catholic Radio, an indie-rock group originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma that includes three brothers. Mellow keys and a bustling prog-rock assortment of guitars set up for an intro that reminds me fondly of The Wrens, immediately hooking me in. The serene vocals that follow, alongside the steady percussion and guitar/key push, show a more relaxed sound – reminiscent of Andrew Bird’s sonorous crispness in addition to jangle-pop greats like The Go-Betweens and their nonchalant vocals/caressing guitars hybrid. The transition around the two-minute mark is minimalist yet captivating; the soaring interlude of sorts (“when the rain is done”) is remarkably well done, serving nicely as a hook that leads into the gorgeous instrumental section around 02:40, when the backing organ serves as the organic backbone to a gorgeous guitar lead — wonderfully reminiscent of The War on Drugs and Kurt Vile, who I believe are the most accurate comparisons – among several enjoyable ones – despite the sound being wholly original and successful in its own right.

“Rain Is Done” is off the second of two EPs Catholic Radio have recently released. They serve as the group’s “swan song”, marking the project’s final releases (at least as of now). The 13 tracks throughout the two make for an album-length of outstanding material, though, containing showings of brilliance comparable to the sound of “Rain Is Done” with some interesting stylistic maneuvers, like the percussive experiment “Calder” or distortion-friendly rock anthem “Breaking Out”. Both EPs can be streamed in full below: