Creative Writing, an ensemble formed in late 2023 from veterans of the independent music landscape including members of Huevos II, Luxor Rentals, Sore Eros, Jeanines, and Estrogen Highs, represents a sophisticated distillation of decades spent immersed in guitar-driven rock. The group’s foundational True 90s EP previously established their aesthetic: a knowing allegiance to the decade’s sound, tinged with a lingering influence from the late ’80s college rock contingent, suggesting a deep familiarity with the catalogs of foundational labels like SST, Homestead, and Matador. Principal songwriters Wes Nelson and Patrick Battleship chart this terrain skillfully, crafting songs that are both compositionally direct and lyrically oblique, avoiding mere genre pastiche with a subtle, self-aware wit.
Their debut full-length, ‘Baby Did This,’ is a taut, 35-minute collection of ten tracks that vary widely in mood and intensity, showcasing the band’s impressive range and structural discipline. The album opens with the jagged, slightly wonky energy of “I Love You,” an anthem of dark-times solidarity, and concludes with the nearly eight-minute psych-pop epic “Rain,” a high point that spirals into lucid, gauzy atmosphere.
In between, the record delves into examinations of alienated mundanity with tracks like “Memory Light,” “Sister,” “Feel,” and “Glass Days,” each handling the territory with an offhand, elliptical quality. Conversely, Nelson’s contributions, “Hallway” (a powerful rework of a Luxor Rentals track) and “Slice & Dice,” plunge into darker areas of surreal angst and post-punk tension. Instrumentally, the album is built on memorable, moody riffs, often channeling the fuzzy jangle of power pop while leaning into a heavier, more insular sound that evokes acts like Guided By Voices or the melodic prowess of Game Theory.
Image courtesy of Meritorio Records
The standout track “Can’t Thank You Enough” features Big Star*-esque chords chiming over a loping rhythm section, with backing harmonies that spread like sunshine. The collection is rounded out by a faithful cover of *Peter Blegvad’s (Slapp Happy, Henry Cow), paean to narcolepsy, “Just Woke Up.”
Self-recorded by the band and engineered/mixed over eighteen months by guitarist Jeff Morkeski, ‘Baby Did This’ prioritizes structure and discipline over spontaneous gesture. While the result is a highly polished, albeit hazily production, Creative Writing have delivered a surprisingly mature and layered debut. Built for repeat spins and appealing to fans of The Chills, Wipers, For Against, and Felt, ‘Baby Did This’ serves as a confident manifesto for a band deeply familiar with the secret handshakes of classic indie guitar pop.
To have a listen or to purchase, please visit Bandcamp or Meritorio Records.
