Oh Darlings - what a delight it was to have you'all in the studio for
Me + You 93! A very pleasant situation, encountering
an NYC band who take time making their music and understand a nice, modest approach to writing a pop song.
A decade or two ago, Darlings' strain of American indie pop would've been more likely to pop up somewhere a little less metropolitan and street-beat than this city e.g. D.C. or... anywhere else(?); this type of
comfortable sound in NYC 2010 is most likely
the product of an environment softened by the influx of nice young people that really want this place to be a fun setting to make music without having to jerk the hype machine or compete with fellow musicians. How many of those young folks actually retain that initial purity is questionable, but Darlings are holding on just fine.
As implied above, Darlings' style does owe a little to the smaller city/town vibe of
early Slumberland, although it's as if they're
shaking off the slumber and going for a jog around Washington Sq. (the group's roots are in the W. Village after all...) or chasing a babe in the rain. The subject matter and melodies are relatively harmless and innocent but not naive or too saccharine.
The songs do rock and in this session, the Dar's are at ease enough to let their strings hang loose as
the chords bounce buoyantly like your crush's pert breasts on the day that she comes to class sans bra. OK, for diplomacy's sake and the fact that there is a lovely young woman in this group, perhaps the analogous situation for a male would be the day he comes to class in gym shorts and is going commando? Hey, NYU is a sporty place these days - hence their adoption of feral mascot "The Bobcat", which is one of many subjects that this interview touches upon.
It's quite enjoyable to hear the Darlings enjoying each others' company as friends and musicians as
they riff, in conversation and in song. Somewhat fitting that they delve into the subject of seeing Pavement later in the evening (as part of their run of shows @ Central Park) and it's endearing to
hear frontman Peter Rynsky ruminate on the few groups that they've taken from their high school days into their current lives, which is indeed a strange notion to entertain from time to time, isn't it? Entertaining for sure, as they close their set on
a *cover* of The Vaselines' "Monsterpussy", wrapping up an all-around cheeky yet enchanting encounter with this group, whose other, original material performed that day includes songs like
"I Don't Wanna Hang Out Tonight" and
"If This Is Love".
Get to know
Joe, Maura, Matt, and Peter and expect some
new material from Darlings in the near future, but for now treat yourself to
Me + You 93 this
Monday 10/11 at
NOON!
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