Dan New York - 2012 -Thirst Four

Rock

   [FOR FREE]

http://dannewyork.bandcamp.com/

• 4 songs to download
• For free
• Direct Download
• Listening recommendations: Electric Tiger

English

This EP from Dan New York might just be an early contender for my Wasfuersohr pick of the year. Yeah, I'm going that far at the end of February/March with this EP. And it was from the first kinetic guitar squeal and workman like drumming on the brash opening track 'Electric Tiger' that I knew this was worth the download and that was before the gorgeous vocals had even jumped into the proceedings. I have an unnatural love for female vocalists in indie rock I guess, and if they meld well with music, it's an extra point towards it. That vocalist Lindsay Stovall seems to be channelling Zooey Deschanel on this track, with a coo to her voice adds to the appeal of her echoing (think one half of She & Him by way of Melissa Auf Der Mar). Of course the next track is nothing like 'Electric Tiger' at all, why would it be? For one, it's dominated completely by Danny Parker's voice and the melancholic whine guitar/vocal that the chorus leans on. 'Big Hits' is so suffocating in emotion that you can't possibly escape its bleakness. 'First Star' and is much more laid back, no slit wrists here. 'Star' is like a sonically interesting Jack Johnson song. Everything from the guitars and bass to the drums and percussion have sunny, happy ... well until the keyboards envelops the whole thing in swirling noise and echoing dissonance (The sound of Death?). Not everyone makes it out the other side, but damn if everyone isn't chipper. Parker and Stovall harmonize nicely about the whole ordeal. The synths on 'Red and Black' really do create the aural sensation of falling in a sort of sinister, childlike way. This may very well be a song of love and lust, but Parker (on his own again) seems somewhat detached from the experience. A little more straight forward rock than 'Hits' or 'Star', but no so much that you're going to pump your fist (lighter on the other hand...) So the first track and the following three aren't all that similar, and the lyrics are a bit dour, “Thirst Four” won't disappoint.