All Chiefs, No Indians - The Danger Mission EP

All Chiefs, No Indians

The Danger Mission EP
self-released; 2014

3.9 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

All Chiefs, No Indians is a band consisting of Nick Story, Justen Howard, Mic Carroll, Ben Batchelor and Connor "Danger" Brown. They formed in 2013 and recently released The Danger Mission EP, which displays a formidable indie rock dance punk five-piece. The band has cited that they have been compared to Bloc Party, LCD Soundsystem, Foals and The Killers but after spending sometime with this EP I think Wild Nothing and DIIV is more accurate. Peeling back the onion further you could also make comparisons to The Cure. Why you ask? The band coats their guitars in a copious amount of reverb for one. Furthermore there are certain tonal aesthetic qualities (some based in ‘80s art rock) that bring the previously mentioned bands to mind. 

The EP starts with an excellent song and highlight entitled “Union” that will not only have you moving your hips but is also extremely infectious. I enjoyed the overall balance of the instruments and energy of “Union.” During the verse the steady drumbeat and bass provide the momentum as a guitar strategically picks certain notes. The vocalist’s voice is warm, inviting and easy to embrace. 

“Danger Mission” starts off sounding like a B-side to a Franz Ferdinand song but nonetheless is a well-done song that is even more dance worthy. The vocals seemed to play second fiddle to the music on this track and lacked the undeniable hook that was present on the first track.

The third track “Tokyo” turns back the BPM a bit and relies on subtlety and nuance to gain your attention. Take a close listen to the drum work during the verse on this track. Good stuff. The EP closes with “The Wave,” which is a solid song but also the biggest deviation from the dance punk foundation of the first two songs. They go big in this song, looking for huge sounding guitars and choruses that are impactful. I felt the flavor and style of the first two songs sounded better on the band.

All Chiefs, No Indians made a very solid debut on The Danger Mission EP. There were some moments (not many) that felt a bit flat but overall it was very enjoyable. My advice to the band is to stick to the dance punk vibe. The first song “Union” is unequivocally the best song on the EP. Work off that and I predict good things will come. 

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