Social Studies

Wind Up Wooden Heart (Antenna Farm)

By Emily Becker
Published: August 5th, 2010 | 7:00am

The two founding members of Social Studies arrived at indie rock from wildly different backgrounds. Singer and keyboardist Natalia Rogovin trained as a classical pianist while growing up in an Oregon commune, while drummer Michael Jirkovsky played in Chicago’s punk scene. In Social Studies, Rogovin and Jirkovsky take elements from their past and forge a new sound along with Jesse Hudson and Tom Smith (ex-Mazes), on bass and guitar, respectively.

Wind Up Wooden Heart is the quartet’s full-length debut, packed with anthems that favor broad musical strokes, and the album’s cross-pollination of influences ensure a little something for everyone. Social Studies show they can pull off dramatic, orchestral shifts à la Arcade Fire (“Charioteers,” “Drag a Rake”). When they aim for a more atmospheric, keyboard-driven sound, they evoke Stereolab (“Pile of Words,” “Battle of Shiloh”). And on “Time Bandit,” Rogovin’s vocals and Smith’s guitar work shift into overdrive, recalling the poppy punch of Metric.

Wind Up Wooden Heart straddles the divide between playful and serious. Regardless of which direction Social Studies goes next, their debut proves they are more than just talented mimics. They took seemingly disparate streams of influence and combined them into a sound that is recognizably their own.

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Social Studies official Web site

Social Studies MySpace page

Antenna Farm Records