#647 The Dying Falls - Driftwood

Listen free here!

Disclosure: I like these guys, they're good dudes and they put on a good, taut show.

Also Mark's parents are pretty cool.

So I say it with nothing but love that these guys sound like a lot of bands. Look, we live in a post-girl-talk world, its ok to wear your influences on your sleeve and to combine them in new and fun ways. I say this all with great sincerity: these guys sound like a lot of my favorite bands, and that's ok.

The huge echoey slapping claps and ticks that punctuate Teenage Affliction are purely original, giving distance and space and stormtunnel transgression to a song that evokes a midtempo Tokyo Police Club song decorated with Modest Mouse wobble guitar paeans.

Entertainment rides Strokesey chug, but elevates it with punches of Unicornsey soft-square synthy melodies.

And look, a lot of people have made songs that sounded like Where Is My Mind, its no crime that Old Prisoner's Song goes there so strongly that it turns out to be a nice little tune. Also, I never get tired of across-the-room backing yelps.

Injury sounds like some combination of My Yellow Country Teeth, Bloc Party and (again) Tokyo Police Club, but comes across as bright and fun as anything any of those bands put out.

I'm sure this all sounds very backhanded and namedroppey and wiseassey, and I acknowledge that these are compliments laced with accusations of copping sounds, but for me copping a sound is no crime, and worth it if the song comes out like something I want to hear. For the well-listened indie rock fan, this is how you're probably going to hear these guys: they sound like a fun mashup of a lot of your favorite bands, expertly performed and produced. There's not a ton you haven't heard here before (though Teenage Affliction is a nice start), but doesn't seeking that get exhausting anyway?

If you're not familiar with all my little backhanded wiseass namedrops? Well, hear this first and it will be your new favorite album. Then go check out all those bands, and be warned: you will find they do what these guys do better and be a little sad. But you'll also find things you miss, that The Dying Falls do that none of those bands bring to the table. And you might find their collections of songs aren't actually as generally solid (I'm looking at you Bloc Party, and you post-Lesson-in-Crime Tokyo Police Club). Its like hearing Smash Your Head and going, man Biggie's a great rapper, and then realizing how dead fucking boring the production on Ready to Die is. Where's my Tiny Dancer at? Then you go listen to Smash Your Head and give it the respect its due 3.5/5