Forming first as Spud Puddle, this band from southern California changed their name just prior to the release of their second album. Partly due to confusion with punk band Spudgun, but more so due to a change in styles–away from the pop-punk of their debut, and into alternative/indie rock on the self-titled Quaylealbum, the old band name just didn’t fit anymore.
With a sound that touched on alternative rock, power pop, and just a hint of emo, Quayle wowed listeners with a sound that was both raw and melodic at the same time. The band was associated with the Christian music scene, but their lyrics rarely even hinted at issues of faith, instead singing mostly about relationships of the romantic sort.
Having said that, “The Pretender” (one of the strongest songs on the album) could be taken as a metaphor for conversion or transformation, as the narrator journeys from someone who lives a life of deception (“I like to live by lying”) to someone who becomes more truthful over time (“I want to stop pretending”). The change is inspired by the pursuits of relationship, (“I gotta smile like the sun, because she smiles like the sun”).
