ho’dve thunk nine years ago that in 2002 we’d be discussing the Midwest rock tradition and not mean Bob Seeger or REO Speedwagon? And who’dve thunk that after the success of embry-emo harbingers like Cap’n Jazz and Braid it would still retain its pejorative connotations? Yes, there’s sure to be a rough ride ahead for any band that is pinned with such affiliations, and it’d take a miracle to change that. While Alto Heceta’s debut LP, This Distance This Weekend is not that miracle, it sure does a lot to reclaim the title of ‘Midwest indie’ as something uniquely powerful and serenely fragile.

After three years of performing in and around their hometown of Iowa City, Alto Heceta have finally submitted their long-overdue full length album. Upon first listen, their resistance is perfectly justified; the three EPs that preceded this album don’t even begin to contain the consistency, confidence, and innovation that is presented here. The vocals that used to awkwardly quiver with uncertainty now bristle with staunch poise; the guitars that used to arpeggiate aimlessly now sparkle and glimmer with song-sensitive rationale; the drums that used to lose themselves in the mix now drive the music. Few bands are able to make good on a promise like this.

What sets this album (and band, for that matter) apart from its stylistically inbred brethren is its dedication and attention to detail. Not once during the course of this record does it feel as though the band is going through the motions, and unlike the majority of languid mood rock, Alto Heceta lets up on the evocation long enough to craft actual melodies. A shining example is the tranquil “We Dig Silence”, where singer/guitarist Dino Balocchi plays around the strident instrumental climax with his brand of quiet, almost stream-of-consciousness lyrics. An obvious benchmark is Mike Kinsella’s American Football project, but rather than allow songs to spiral away in jazzy meandering, Alto Heceta has the sensibility to anchor their tunes with variation and moderation.

After a brief instrumental opener, “My Shrinking Paradise” rips through the silence with one of the album’s most buoyant songs. The impeccable production is more than evident, with the vocals resting lower in the mix, just below the crunchy din of the guitars and pounding insistency of Matt Heideman’s taut drumming (a highlight throughout). From there on, the record is a trip though the expansive plains of the Midwest and the rainy afternoons of the band’s hometown. “Moderation” may be the poppiest thing here and it shimmers gloriously. The leaden keyboard inflections of “When Autumn Leaves” and “A Head Start” bring the album to an appropriately pensive close with some of the group’s most experimental work yet. It’s this grasp of atmospherics and willingness to experiment that makes Alto Heceta such an exciting group of musicians. One could certainly level the complaint that the band sticks too close to their formula at times (which they most certainly do on tracks like “Andy Dufresne” and “Picture Being There”), but when the formula is this good, it’s forgivable at best, distressing at worst.

Truth be told, This Distance This Weekend is hardly for everyone. Despite its accessibility, many will be turned off by its composure and reflective lyrics (yes, you know what word I’m trying to tiptoe around), but those who can put aside these surface traits will be rewarded with a well-written, immaculately performed beauty of a record that won’t soon leave the stereo.

[To order this record, visit www.altoheceta.com or www.synaptictacticrecords.com]