“Sea Ranch” is the first in an open-ended series of singles, original songs and covers that Tower Defense started cooking up during the extended performance hiatus of 2020 and 2021, a time that found them completely rethinking the way that they wrote and recorded music. Under the indefatigable captaincy of Jereme Frey, the band shifted to an “all-recorded, all the time” model of rehearsal which, in turn, facilitated a shift to home recording. Shaking off the constraints of finite studio time opened the floodgates of creativity, allowing each song to thrive and develop on its own terms, with additional layers of vocal and instrumental overdubs that the band had never considered before.

The heart of “Sea Ranch” is the hard-charging, syncopated guitar of Currey May, supported from all sides as always by the dual-bass attack of Sarah and Mike Shepherd, and propelled ever-forward by Jereme Frey’s exacting, martial percussion. Mike & Currey trade off verses and choruses seamlessly, deftly complementing the deadly-serious guitars and delivering 2023’s first great earworm.

On the virtual flipside, the band delivers their unique take on a long-time favorite, The Cure’s “A Forest.” Where the original tune built its atmosphere gradually, via lengthy, reverb-drenched instrumental passages, Tower Defense trims the fat, lending the song’s gothic mystery a sense of grim urgency.

“Sea Ranch” heralds a new era for Tower Defense - autonomous and empowered. Keep your ears peeled.