Search - Deathray :: Deathray

Deathray's debut is full of surprises. The first five seconds of the opening track, "My Lunatic Friends," belies the stripped down, hooky rock that comprises the disc. Glorious reverb and fuzz jump-start the disc, but soon a great pop vocalist and clean, retro arrangements step to the fore. Then, just when you think you've figured out that Deathray lives to pay homage to the pop-inflected likes of XTC, the Raspberries, Big Star, and Badfinger, there's a snippet of the Cars followed by a bit of the bossa nova. By then, it's time to give up altogether and just enjoy the ride. Beyond the catchy single "My Lunatic Friends," which may grab a good number of listeners, it's the late-'70s New Wave sound of the energetic "Check It Over," the languid pop bliss of "What Would You Do," and the beautifully wacky "Baby Polygon," with its electronic twiddling and acoustic guitars (is that a vocoder?) that exert a strong pull. Vocalist Dana Gumbiner is capable, albeit a bit gun shy, while the band (Greg Brown on guitars and Victor Damiani on bass, both formerly with Cake, James Neil on drums, and Max Hart making the synths sing) is just having a blast. --Lorry Fleming