Murder Your Darlings
Wampeters
Wampus Records
1999
10 tracks
Sometimes I think artists should never be allowed to self-categorize, to decide in which genre they should be placed. So often, they get it all wrong. Wampeters is a case in point. Their leader, Mark Doyon, refers to Wampeters as an "indie pop" band. It's true that they release their music on Wampus, an independent label. And it's true that their music falls somewhere along the pop continuum. Does that qualify them as an "indie pop" band? Perhaps.
Perhaps not. When I hear a band's music described as indie pop, especially when their release has as provocative a title as Murder Your Darlings, I tend to have certain expectations. I expect to hear something very contemporary, very pop, with more than a bit of an edge to it. This release is none of those things.
Murder Your Darlings is a very Eighties sounding release, sometimes even carrying echoes of the Seventies. The music is suggestive of artists as diverse as Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Talking Heads, Procol Harum, and even Lou Reed. This is the sort of rich, mellow rock that permeated more than a decade starting in the late Seventies. The sound is full and orchestrated, filled with organ and other keyboard voices. This is definitely background not dance music.
Doyon's lyrics fight against the mellow sound of his music, leaning toward themes of personal angst and uneasy relationships. There is a precarious balance here between bitter anger and a sort of quiet desperation, a frustrated acceptance of things as they are. Although without the hard edge of a Morissette, this is where these songs approach the disquiet evident in much contemporary pop music. More defensive than aggressive, the anger in these lyrics bespeaks a soul lost and not sure where to turn next.
In combination with his lyrics, Doyon's voice and singing style often moves away from his retro-rock music to give the listener more of a folk experience. The combination is interesting and refreshing. In the same vein, this is the yet another release in which the artist has incorporated that "jingle-jangle" sound so common in Sixties folk rock. This is especially noticeable in "Lee Jackson Highway," but shows up briefly in several other songs. While not a major element in the mix, this ornamentation gives the music a distinctive sound all its own.
If I were a buyer of music by indie pop groups, I would find this release quite disappointing for it's lack of variety in presentation and because it really doesn't fit the genre. If I were a fan of the retro sound of classic rock, I would find this release an interesting extension of the form and probably add it to my music shelf. I would recommend giving this one a listen in the booth at the store before buying. That way, you can decide for yourself.
You can find more information on Wampeters at Wampus Records on the net.
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