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This album is (begging your pardon) the debut from The Debutantes, a dynamic, melodic indie-rock trio (more recently having expanded to a quartet) from Boston. They combine chiming, arpeggiated guitar work (occasionally amping up with distortion and feedback) with strong basslines, propulsive drumming, and vocals reminiscent of Jordan Warner from Sea Ray or, sometimes, the young Michael Stipe. It's a stripped-down guitar-bass-drums musical scenario, with a clean sound, and each element holds its own while still blending together well. There's something about this disc that hearkens back to the early days of Versus, not so much in the sound but in the raw, moody feel. They also recall some of the less raucous, more melodic songs by New Radiant Storm King. The material is strong, though some tracks ("You Taste So Useless And Worn Out", "Days", "Secondhand", "No Wonder Town") are more attention-grabbing than others. There's a real elemental quality to this, and as the band progresses I feel that they could take their sound in a couple of different directions successfully: either tighter and more stripped-down, or more atmospheric and expansive--or perhaps an interesting combination of both. It's not quite all there yet, but the potential for future greatness is obvious, and I definitely hope to hear what comes next from this group. (mike.06.05)
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