Print Edition: February 6, 2013
Tegan and Sara
Heartthrob
If the last song from a guitar-and-drums-and-nothing-more Tegan and Sara album (and based on their continued morphing into the pop realm, there’s a greater chance it won’t be – they could go anywhere from here) turns out to be “Someday,” then that’s kind of a perfect fit—in that it isn’t that at all—voices electronically modified but still harmonizing, guitars buzzing in a programmed-sounding way, Tegan and Sara as divided between pop and not does not exist. The addition of further synth production means when guitars return on Heartthrob, things can tend a little too close to the sound of Metric (“I’m Not Your Hero”), but Emily Haines doesn’t write like this – though lower in volume of unique lyrics, pace and velocity, Tegan and Sara’s characteristic specificity, the ability to see both sides in the present tense, remains. And what grows is that the desire to avail even in the face of criticism (“I Am [A Fool/Not a Hero/Not a Friend/Messed Up]”), and the re-clarification of pronominal address (“You” in “Shock to Your System,” “Me/You” in “Goodbye, Goodbye,” “You/I” in “Drove Me Wild,”) don’t die even when touched with digital fingerprints.
Ducktails
The Flower Lane
Matt Mondanile, best known as the guitarist for New Jersey indie band Real Estate, has started to make use of his side project, Ducktails and in an attempt to fully-flesh out their sound. Although Ducktails have never seemed to lack ambition, they lacked direction. The band’s debut record in 2009 was simply instrumental outtakes of Real Estate’s debut, utilizing the side-project as a means to satisfy diehard fans. The Flower Lane, the fourth album under the name Ducktails, breaks through the label of “Real Estate side-project” and has blossomed into a band that exists on its own merits. With members of Big Troubles filling in the holes, Mondanile extends his reverb-friendly jangle pop to a more polished funk and disco-infused tunes. His most remarkable genre hopping occurs on the lead single, “Letter of Intent,” which features the synthy melodies of Oneohtrix Point Never’s Daniel Lopatin, and guest vocals from Jessa Farkas of Future Shuttle. This electro-pop driven track evokes the image of an ominous Ryan Gosling driving by wearing a leather scorpion jacket. While Mondanile sounds confident here, it might serve him well to reign in this scope of this project and re-focus for a more cohesive experience.
Darkstar
News From Nowhere
News From Nowhere opens with a melancholic, enveloping piece of dream pop powered by a simple, twinkling melody. “Light Body Clock Starter” finds UK trio Darkstar in a haze of post-dance floor repose. Ghosts of the night’s more kinetic music uncertainly haunt the listener, like noise ringing in your ear as you stumble out into the blinding light of the 2 a.m. streetlamps. All this points back to Darkstar’s overtly dance music background. There are hints of that here amid the psychedelic-tinged electric pianos, drum machines, heavily-processed vocals, sparkling bells and the murky, nebulous coating of the album’s production. Sounds stretch out to fill gaps in the record’s audible spectrum, but in a way that still points inward rather than to the heavens like Explosions in the Sky. Darkstar’s sombre, reflective outlook is arresting at first, but begins to lose its spell towards the final third. Despite occasionally playful arrangements to break up the monotony, their approach doesn’t hold over the course of a 45-minute album. While the crashing wave ambiance is soothing and the melodies are generally inventive and compelling, the group’s restraint soon becomes tedious rather than deepening the album’s spell.
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
We the Common
The album opens with slightly discordant stringed instruments – is that a sitar I hear, or just a banjo? It keeps from being too crazy with binding elements of a kick drum and the chill vocals of Thao Nguyen. The vocal track is distorted in places to match the vibe of the electric guitar, which is a cool symmetry. In the second track, Nguyen chases after my own heart by taking a break from raucously joyful rhythms to provide a gentle ditty of a hummed and harmonized bridge. The track ends with a chorus of vocals only with the mantra, “Rest and be strong / wash and be clean / start a new life whenever you need.” Inspiring stuff, this, but before the listener gets too mired in their own thoughts, The Get Down Stay Down grip us up and spin us around with jubilant brass and the infallible kick drum/chill vocals combo that this band has practically patented. These are tunes to pick you up and keep you buoyant – just what the doctor ordered, especially with spring in the air.
