Acclaimed Chicago group the 1900s keeps new songs tight

Local band the 1900s went through some changes between the group's debut full-length record and the follow-up, which came out earlier this month.

A couple of founding members departed the group, forcing the band to recruit a new drummer and reshuffle some of the musical assignments among the remaining members.

The result, singer and guitarist Edward Anderson said, is a tighter unit.

“In a way, I think we feel more like a real band now,” Anderson, a native of the South suburbs, said during a phone interview. “We have six people now, instead of seven, and I think everyone feels like they're an integral part of what we're doing.”

The difference in band makeup can be heard on the new record, “Return of the Century” (Parasol Records), which moves away from the lavish '60s-inspired orchestration of the 2007 debut in favor of leaner pop songs.

Which isn't to say that the nods to folk, psychedelia, '60s pop and other genres aren't there. They're just more subtle, and contained within well-defined song structures.

“We didn't want to make those overt references to our influences this time,” Anderson said. “It's a departure, but I think the new stuff still sounds like us.”

Guitars chime and jingle on songs like “Amulet,” “Kidnap Runaway,” and “Babies.” The rhythm section consisting of bassist Charlie Ransford and a series of guest drummers propels the songs forward, while keyboards and strings provide spare ornamental touches throughout. Vocal duties are handled by Anderson, Caroline Donovan and Jeanine O'Toole.

The record has generated significant buzz across the country for this six-piece, Chicago-based band, which just completed a short tour of the East Coast and has a few dates coming up at home. The band plans to perform as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in London next month.

“The shows have been great, though we've had some trouble on the road,” Anderson said, explaining that a bunch of his clothes were stolen when someone broke into the band's van during a stop in New York City. “Next time we tour, I'm not taking anything. You end up wearing pretty much the same thing every day, anyway.”

The 1900s worked on “Return of the Century” off and on during the past two years. They built the songs slowly, recording some parts in Chicago studios and others in Anderson's apartment.

Anderson would come up with the core of a song, then bring in the other members to add to it. To fill the void left by earlier departures, Donovan played keyboards and violinist Andra Kulans also played some guitar.

“I wanted to give everyone as much space as possible to do what they wanted to,” Anderson said.

The bit-by-bit assembly of the songs led to a problem when it came time to perform them onstage.

“The record was really a studio creation,” he said. “So as a band we really had to learn how to play these songs from scratch.”

Learning was a challenge also because drummer Matt Roan was new to the band and hadn't played on the record, while other members, like Donovan and Kulans, were handling new roles.

Despite all that, the band meshed as a playing unit, Anderson said.

“I think we've got the whole album down now, and we plan to tour as much as we can behind it,” he said. “I really want to see the whole country, if I can.”

The 1900s

<p>When: 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3</p>

<p>Where: The Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, Chicago</p>

<p>Tickets: $10, go to emptybottle.com</p>