Soft Reeds

After fleeing to Nashville following the demise of his band, native Kansas Citian Ben Grimes rediscovered his muse with his new outfit, Soft Reeds, and returned to our city. His present claim to fame is a song that he co-wrote and released on Soft Reeds’ three-song EP last year: a quavering, transcendent rendering of “Buildings and Mountains,” the catchy little tune that his former Republic Tigers bandmates rode to fame. Whether Soft Reeds’ version is better than the Tigers’ is a matter of opinion, of course, but it’s a damn good start to a promising new chapter for Grimes. Churning out glam pop with a soupy wash of indie noise splashed over it, Soft Reeds makes music that sparkles and shimmers but keeps a healthy coat of rust underneath.