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Desario

Zero Point Zero

(Darla; US: 24 Mar 2009)

Not quite indie rock, but not quite the commercially packaged goop coming out repeatedly, Desario find a happy medium on the urgent, up-tempo “Nautical Ways” that sounds like some strange collage between Franz Ferdinand, Vampire Weekend and the Replacements. Meanwhile, “Late Sedan” isn’t the car driving tune you’d think would come from a California band but is rather a murky, mediocre track led by John Conley’s pipes. And “As I Recall” is a simple dance-rock number that falls way short. Fortunately, there’s much more hit than miss on the album as the pumping “Cane Cola” is a sugary gem a la the Connells or Teenage Fanclub. But throughout the album, Desario succeeds in sculpting their own niche sound of sweet pop as “Fine Time” lives up to its title. And highlights? Well, the Byrdsian-meets-Petty jangle emanating from the heady, psychedelic laced “Mouth Closed” is the gem, with the sweet, quasi-galloping style of “Houston” an extremely close second.

Rating:

Originally from Cape Breton, MacNeil is currently writing for the Toronto Sun as well as other publications, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, NME.com, Country Standard Time, Skope Magazine, Chart Magazine, Glide, Ft. Myers Magazine and Celtic Heritage. A graduate of the University of King's College, MacNeil currently resides in Toronto. He has interviewed hundreds of acts ranging from Metallica and AC/DC to Daniel Lanois and Smokey Robinson. MacNeil (modestly referred to as King J to friends), a diehard Philadelphia Flyers fan, has seen the Rolling Stones in a club setting, thereby knowing he will rest in peace at some point down the road. Oh, and he writes for PopMatters.com.


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