专辑简介

This is the long-awaited first release by Ithaca, NY's own Dutch-core rock quartet. Jairo van Lunteren growls out his rough lyrics in a voice that sounds like the midpoint between Nico and Keith Richards; he's not afraid to have fun with his own material, and he's got a swagger that's equal parts enthusiastic and self-mocking. Nobody else says "yeah!" quite like Jairo does.

The two-guitars-bass-and-drums arrangements are fleshed out by vocal and instrumental contributions from friends and family of the band, most notably Kathy Ziegler on a variety of keyboards and organs. "City of the Rats" is a dirty urban scene and "To Mourn You, My Dear" is somber, but most of the cuts here are exuberant, raucous love songs. "Train" - which is often the centerpiece of the band's live shows - is like a stand-up comedy routine, complete with dramatic stops and starts and an over-the-top crescendo. "Believe In Who You Are" is a duet with Ziegler and a tremendously sweet song addressed to an absent lover. "Het Noodlot," the album's one Dutch-language track, is a hushed minor-key acoustic waltz, and the record winds up with the woozy blues "Born"; it's the most drunken, self-pitying thing here, and it's hilarious.

(Author: Casey Westerman, Ithaca Times)