REVERB: When Born Anchors Play, the Sunset Gets Darker

Laura Musselman

The hustle outside the Sunset. For all our coverage of Seattle Weekly's REVERB Festival, vist SeattleWeekly.com/reverbfestival.

The dim, red-tinged lighting of the Sunset Tavern is the perfect setting for Born Anchors' unexpectedly dark music. From his baby face and blonde hair to his clean voice, Jason Parker seems like the kind the guy who'd audition for American Idol (as long he sang a repertoire of rock songs, like Bo Bice or David Cook). Instead, he sings for a band that channels Joy Division: Born Anchors opened their set on Saturday with "Slow Motion," a song with haunting guitars ala "She's Lost Control" and "Transmission." Since Parker sounds nothing like Ian Curtis, his voice is less the band's stand-out feature and more a capable instrument that creates rhythm. (This also means that Born Anchors' style can feel a little stale after a while--which the band apparently realizes, since their Sunset set clocked in at only 30 minutes.)