On the Strength of All Convinced,
Daphne Loves DerbyFor a band that's never really had a proper record deal, Daphne Loves Derby have had a hell of a lot of hype. Turn 'hype' into 2-million pure volume plays and suddenly you've a stack of A&R men taking you out for free lunches to try and secure your services. In the end, the bidding war was won by Outlook Music, a subsiduary of Universal. With major label backing it's inevitable DLD will go on and makes waves, but does this record really justify the internet hype? The answer is a resounding no.
In places, 'On the Strength of All Convinced' is as exciting as watching paint dry. It's monotonus, flat and uninspiring - the choruses don't stand out and it sounds like a cross of far too many bands. Produced by Casey Bates, the obvious comparison is that of This Providence. However, whereas TP are sickly sweet but have choruses comparable to a Deep Forest Gateaux, at times Daphne Loves Derby are the equivalent to a soggy digestive biscuit. Instead of being thick, luxurious and tasty, tracks like 'Pollen and Salt' are boring and leave a pretty bland taste in your mouth. It's not all bad, don't get me wrong, but the problem is this album just gets a bit boring.
It starts off pretty well as 'Sundays' is a good example of what the band can be like when they're more upbeat and push the tempo along a bit. 'A Year On An Airplane' is very This Providence mind, but still sounds pretty good. 'Kirby' is a cracker, while the closing 'What We Have Been Waiting For' is a keeper. But for all the good songs, there are songs which just don't make much of an impression after repeated listens. 'Birthday Gallery' is a bit wishy-washy, while 'Pollen and Salt' is really dull. They're both quite chilled, but the difference between DLD when they're upbeat and the sullen, sulky songs is a bit too great for me.
If you're a fan of bands like Sherwood, Cartel or This Providence, then give Daphen Loves Derby a whirl. They're very light and easy to like - and because of this they'll do well - but for me there's something missing over the course of this album; something which doesn't justify 2-million plays. But with a lot of label backing, I think it's pretty safe to say we'll be hearing more about them regardless...
www.daphnelovesderby.com
Outlook Music
Paul
