It's fair to say that in the "indie emo" scene of the last year, Daphne Loves Derby have been one of the most hyped underground bands around. Their
Closing Down The Pattern Department EP was certianly a breath of fresh air, giving listeners the pleasure of sitting through 5 poppy yet well-produced and perfectly constructed anthems for summertime. Their Purevolume page has always received lots of attention, with well over 2 million plays. And all this without being signed?
Well, when Outlook Records picked up this band and told them to write their debut album for the label, fans of this band began to cream themselves in excitement. And in July of 2005, we were graced with the band's finest produced piece of work.
But something was missing. Though we are introduced to the record in true Daphne style, with the slow beginning bursting into a full band and churning out poptastic melodies and heartfelt vocals, it trails off quickly. After breezing through openers "Sundays" and the somewhat too listener-friendly "Hammers and Hearts", you have nothing too original and nothing that fun to stick on.
“A Year On an Airplane” feels a bit more like old-school Daphne, but offers nothing new. "Birthday Gallery" turns the bands one talent: writing uplifting and cherry anthems, into their downfall when the gloomier melody accompanies Kenny's childish voice. It isn't until "You Verses The Sea" where this band begin to pick up a little more, offering a better delve into the darker side of writing indie pop hits, and still then it isn't that attention-grabbing. The tunes feel old and familiar, and the occasional "ooh's" add nothing to the music.
Then we hit the climax of the album, the just fantastic "Kirby". This is what this band is best at. From the lead-in upbeat introduction to the dual harmonies of the chorus, this is Daphne Loves Derby at their best. It's such a shame they can't display this stature of songwriting on their other songs.
"Pollen And Salt" perfectly captures that country feel, that kind of music you'd find on a Bright Eyes or Death Cab CD. This acoustic song is what Daphne used to be like full-time, and it's a nice look back into their discography and a treat for older fans. Finally, closer "What We Have Been Waiting For" caps off this album so amazingly. Carefully balanced melodies of one-chord strums and light drumming lead into a burst of energy and passionate vocals. It's the perfect way to end this album.
The thing about Daphne Loves Derby is that they have always been an acoustic-based band. Recently, their attempts to dismiss this label with a bigger focus on electric instruments hasn't been too good, but I suppose they adjusting. For one of the biggest hyped bands in the scene today, this band can pull out better than this. It has to be said that about half of this album is skippable, and the only real highlight is "Kirby".
Save your money for something like Copeland or Cartel, or wait until this band's next record. Hopefully they will get it right next time
