the duskwhales - swim

The Duskwhales

Swim
Silver Seed Records; 2014

4.3 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Seth Flynn (vocals, guitar), Chris Baker (drums, vocals, guitar), Brian Majewski (keyboards, drums, vocals) and Austin Mee (bass, drums) make up the band The Duskwhales. The band formed in 2010 and recently released an excellent album called Swim. Right off the bat you can tell these guys are talented instrumentalists but it is ultimately the super catchy songs they write that make the ride so much fun. They kind of sound like Of Montreal at times with a tinge of surf rock. 

First up is “Lemmingway,” which is just a pure blast. The song is very upbeat with a surf rock vibe that is hard not to enjoy. You are swaying back and forth as the vocalist sings “I’m in the here / You’re in the now / Follow your fear / Follow the sound.” Within the first minute the band covers a lot of ground and it really only gets better from there with a solid breakdown and bitching guitar solo.

As much as I enjoyed the first song the second song on the album “New Soldier” was the highlight of the album for me. It has this 70’s disco vibe and ridiculously infectious vocal melody with an ample amount of changes. My only complaint is that vocal verse is almost too short. The vocalist sings “Say you’re searching for me somehow but you don’t have the time / Say you’re looking for me everywhere but nowhere to find.”

“Communist Now” is another catchy number with great piano and vocal work. Even though the piano and vocal work were the focal points you will also want to pay attention to the bass and drums as well. The title track “Swim” has a fast BPM and a number of  methodical tempo changes. Vocal harmonies and cascading guitars  combine to create a whirling combination of pop and melody

This is a band that has an innate talent to make songs that burst with exuberance and optimism. It never feels trite and the songs have enough hooks to make this one of those albums you will have on repeat.