Edito de Has a Banner YearKRIS RACER wants 2007 to be his banner year. As former frontman for Ohio pop-punkers Tagline, Kris Racer (AKA Kris Narunatvanich, but who wants to be responsible for that spellcheck?) came to Chicago and left the rest of the band behind, opting to unplug and become an acoustic, solo act. But staying true to his punkier roots, Kris Racer is more Mike Ness than open mic. Racer?s new EP, ... Has a Banner Year, continues to explore the themes of adolescence redux he covered on his debut, Time Spent on Airplanes. It?s that time you reach in your mid-20s when you?re still not sure what you?re exactly supposed to do with your life; it?s that stage in the game when you?re caught thinking about whether jobs should turn into careers or if girlfriends should become wives. And even though most of the songs on Banner Year seem to be written about a day at the of?ce or a girl actually aren?t ... Racer says it?s usually vice versa?which either ?nds our narrator married to his job (and wants out of the relationship), or his current amour is, well, just another day at the of?ce. Either way, even Zach Braff couldn?t metaphorically draw out his third-life crisis the way Racer does. Racer?s recent moonlighting role in the 60s-inspired, Chicago psych-pop group Universe Society has matured the melodies on Banner Year, as songs like ?This Is Your Emergency? build on guitars, low-key percussion and earnest song delivery by Racer with a precious (but not annoying) chorus of background vocals. Lending a hand to ... Has A Banner Year is Nick Kraska (New Black, Bang! Bang!) and Zaid Maxwell (May or May Not), who recorded the album in Chicago at Greg Norman?s Studio Greg Studios II and Maxwell?s Omnichord Studios. Philip Stone (Sanawon, Sweet Black & Blue) played drums. Lire la suite