Released - 5/23/11
Label - Lucky Number Music Ltd.
BLURB - Talk about coming out of nowhere. I had never heard of Darwin Deez before I saw one of my friends post a video of his on their Facebook wall about a month or so ago. To look at Darwin Deez is to look at a hipster doofus. He looks like someone that would be taking a long drag off of his cigarette while standing outside of American Apparel and listening to Animal Collective on his iPhone. But who are we to judge? Darwin Deez, actually, is quite the purveyor of simple and basic indie-pop rock songs, which immediately get jammed in your head. His album is incredibly fun and never tries to be something it's not. It's just good, clean fun.
Rating - 8.5 out of 10
FULL STORY - The album starts off with a bang in 'Constellations.' The track is an uptempo pop song that is upbeat enough to be considered a dance song. The song's instrumentation is fairly DIY as Deez employs both drum and clap tracks for the percussion. And Darwin Deez's guitar of choice...you guessed it - a cream Squier Stratocaster. Whether he's trying to be ironic or he actually likes that guitar I'll never know, but it's certainly a weird (and cool) choice. That was actually the first guitar I ever bought, so it does offer up some great nostalgia points for me.
'The City' is another great track that has a cool rhythm section and remains something of a bedroom production. I guess that's what really kind of gives Darwin Deez this instant unforeseen credibility. He's making these cool, unique pop songs by himself and with probably a $400 budget - but the tracks come out sparkling. With 'The City' there are key and tempo changes and there is a very conversational, yet emotional tone in the way the lyrics are delivered. It almost reminds me of a sped up and happier version of Death Cab for Cutie.
'Up in the Clouds' is probably my favorite track on the album. The hooks and melodies are far too addicting. Once again digital drums are present, along with just Deez's guitar and vocals. As the track builds, more riffs and background effects are filtered in as they build to a chorus that is sure to reel you in. The lyrics are simple enough that anyone can join in, and aren't too deep, which is actually a good thing - because then they wouldn't match the music and production if they were:
"We used to walk up in the sky, up where the air is rarified. We went hand in hand from cloud to cloud, but when I slipped we fell out. I'm sorry I let you down, down to the ground. But who cares now, we could be up in the clouds..."
'Radar Detector' is probably the most uptempo track on the record. It begs the question, how soon before we start hearing some incredible remixes for some of these songs? Almost all of Darwin Deez's album is moderate to uptempo songs with digital drums and simple hooks that could be turned into masterpieces to be played at your favorite late night bar in Brooklyn. 'Radar Detector' also features a unique dialogue of weird lyrics that never seem to get old and I find myself humming to myself all day at work:
"You and I buy star maps and drive my car around Los Angeles. You and I buy star maps and ding dong ditch televangelists. It's only been a week but I know you're mine to keep."
This sense of fun and spontaneity is what really drives this album. The music is extremely under produced and minimal. The lyrics aren't anything out of a Conor Oberst journal. The vocals won't remind you of Adele. But for whatever reason, this album is way too hard to put down. It's just fun, cool, uptempo and filled with energy. It's good music. Darwin Deez definitely kept it simple and didn't try to out think the room - which I can appreciate. Some songs can bleed into others at times, but for the most part this is a solid record that's here just in time for summer. You just gotta hit play and hang out - it will put you in a better mood.
Have a listen to 'Constellations.'
Tracks
1.) Constellations
2.) Deep Sea Divers
3.) The City
4.) Dna
5.) The Suicide Song
6.) Up in the Clouds
7.) Bed Space
8.) The Bomb Song
9.) Radar Detector
10.) Bad Day
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