Dartz! - This Is My Ship
Record Label: Deep Elm
Release Date: October 9, 2007
One of the biggest mistakes I made as a music fan last year was not getting into Dartz! sooner. The first time I checked out this UK based trio was back in the summer months when Deep Elm announced their signing and the intent to release of their debut full-length, This Is My Ship, in the coming months. I was instantly intrigued by some of the songs on the band’s myspace player (“St. Petersburg” and “Once, Twice, Again!”), but I soon forgot about them due to all the other records I was reviewing. Now that I have spent a considerable amount of time with This Is My Ship, I can say that I should kick my own ass for brushing them aside for so long.
When listening to This Is My Ship, it is obvious that the band draws a lot of influence from the Washington D.C. scene and “A Simple Hypothetical” shows them brazenly wearing these influences on their sleeves. The angular guitars, frenetic energy, and sometimes abstract lyrics featured in songs such as “A Simple Hypothetical” will undoubtedly draw comparisons to a few of their heroes such as Faraquet and Q and Not U. However, Dartz! also have a more accessible pop side, and tracks like the infectious “Once, Twice, Again!” highlight their ability to cross the lines between angular indie rock and infectious pop melodies at will. “Cold Holidays” finds the band blending relaxed, experimental guitar work that brings to mind Minus The Bear with their fast paced dance-punk tendencies. “Prego Triangolos” finds the band strictly sticking to their experimental side as evident by the unique vocal approach they stick to for this track and puzzling lyrics (you have three sides but you're not a triangle/you have three sides and you are a square). Despite the vocal approach on this song which blends both the traditional vocals on this record with odd, disco style vocals and the occasional odd lyric, the handclap driven break almost halfway through the track is quite entertaining.
“St. Petersburg” is the song that initially piqued my interest in Dartz! It takes their angular, propulsive indie approach and adds a hint of aggression but is not without its catchy, sing-a-long inducing moments. “Fantastic Apparatus” is easily the most infectious track on This Is My Ship and would serve as a great single, should the band release one here in the U.S. While This Is My Ship is praised for its angular style and D.C. influences, “Fantastic Apparatus” shows that the band is just as capable of crafting infectious, pop-centric songs that will burrow their way into your subconscious. The album closes with the hidden track, “Ulysses”, which shows the band once again mixing another genre into their arsenal: post-rock.
This Is My Ship is a very strong debut for this full-length trio. The energy on this record never falters at any point throughout the albums twelve (or thirteen if you count the hidden song) tracks, giving it a very high replay value and prevents it from ever dragging like some full-lengths can do. Dartz! is easily one of my favorite “new bands” and if their debut is already this good, I can only imagine how good their future albums are going to be. Keep your eyes on these guys, I have a feeling you will be hearing about them quite a bit in the future.
Sounds like a funkier Armor for Sleep to me. (note that I haven't listened to Armor for Sleep in a long time so that may be off)
Nah, I can assure you there isn't really any Armor For Sleep connections. If anything, I would say its a poppier version of like Q and Not U.
Originally Posted by Julia Conny
A 90, eh? Well, well. Guess I will have to swing on over to their myspace.
EDIT: I like this a lot. The accents really do me in.
I am glad you liked it! Yeah its one of my favorite records from last year, but I didn't get enough time to listen over it before we did Year End lists.
Nah, I can assure you there isn't really any Armor For Sleep connections. If anything, I would say its a poppier version of like Q and Not U.
You're right, the song I listened to was the only one that gave me that vibe ("Harbour"). Proving to be a good reason why reviewers listen to more then one song to review a band.
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