Thursday, April 9, 2015

Review: WE DESTROY DISCO - It's Always A Bad Time



     Germany is known for many things, but disco ain't one of them. Thankfully, WE DESTROY DISCO, who hail from Augsberg, don't embrace the genre we all associate with bell bottoms, afros and a dark time in the musical history. Instead, they've opted for a sound more akin to such modern day acts as Foals, Minus The Bear and Phoenix, breaking out the disco beat but not the disco fashion. While those acts may seem more at home in 2006 (Which frighteningly makes me feel old instantly), the same general musical principal they carry (Dance-like indie rock), is timeless, which does work to W.D.D's advantage.
     "Contra", the opening track on the EP, is jangly and poppy, breaking out the disco beat I just mentioned to produce a song that sounds relatively radio worthy. It feels a bit sparse instrumentally, but it's energy manages to save it, etching out a win to start the album. "Let's Be In Love Tonight" also busts out the same beat, but it pulls itself back a bit, playing itself softer and more romantically than "Contra". It's fairly reminiscent of early Bloc Party, but gets caught up in too much "Woo-hoo ing" (You'll know what I mean when you listen to it). It's only a slight knock against it, since I know everyone is doing that today and, if you're trying to become successful, it's kind of a requirement. Still, it's the most balanced track on the EP and one I would recommend more than "Contra", if only if it's because it's more accessible.
     "Times New Roman" gives them range, tossing in some jammy, near math-like hooks into a song that is rather downbeat. It's an impressive track, and something this reviewer would like to see them explore further in their next album. "Ends" is an indie-pop track through and through, creating a sound a little too safe to be very effective. It still plays itself out strongly though, being catchy despite it's mediocrity.
     The last two tracks on the EP, "X=Y" and "Wellington" lose a bit of their edge, but at least give them room to try different things, even if they all don't work out. "Wellington" breaks out the strings, attempting to be an indie ballad. It took a few times to listen to it to truly appreciate it, even if it didn't set my musical world on fire. It sounds more like a progressive Coldplay track rather than something more in the vein that I mentioned earlier (Foals, etc.), but that doesn't take points away from them since I like Coldplay (Well, anything pre-Viva La Vida). "X=Y" is the weakest song on the EP, being so mediocre that it's almost like it leaves your brain whilst it plays. There's always that one track on an EP that doesn't do anything for you, and that just happened to be "X=Y" for me.
     Overall, It's Always A Bad Time was a nice time, even if some of the tracks didn't feel entirely complete. These guys are talented, and know how to create poppy hooks and beats, which is 75%of what it takes to make an epic song, so they're nearly there. Hopefully, they fine tune them next time around on whatever full length/EP they're set to make next. When they do, I'll be there to listen. - Shane