Tell the Pilgrims It's a Potluck

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In fact, the whole record is so unpretentious that songs can fly by unnoticed on first listen. Despite the fact that Pirner, Zimmerman and Peterson share vocal duties, it's hard to tell who is singing which song; the lyrics and melodies are folded into a heavy blanket of chugging, relentless rhythms and slightly fuzzed-out guitar distortions. It would be easy to list a handful of Minneapolis bands from the past who have their fingerprints on the 757s' sound, but the group doesn't sound like any of their forerunners in particular. Instead, their songs come across as earnest confessionals from a group of guys who have been around the block, who have taken everything they have learned about rock and roll with a grain of salt and funneled it into the beginning of yet another new band.

The disc kicks off with the catchiest song, “1981,” which reminisces about the early '80s over a heavy early '90s grunge churn. The melody of “Leader” sounds like a slightly altered version of the Replacements' “Achin' to Be,” while “Favorite Song” is decidedly anthemic and hook-laden, despite the singer's attempt to convince you that “this is not your favorite song.” And though the songs continued to grow on me with each repeated listen, the one thought running through my mind as I delved into the 757s was “man, I can't wait to see these guys live.”

There is an intentional looseness to the band's first album that I can only imagine transfers well to the stage. Though their songs sound fresh, there is an inherent feeling of nostalgia that ties the songs to one another and the band members to their respective histories, and the music is just as much a soundtrack for clinking glasses in remembrance of days gone by as it is a reason to get excited about what is yet to come.

UP NEXT: The 757s play Friday, Dec. 21 at the 400 Bar with Terry Eason and Porcupine. 8 p.m. $7. 18+.