The Bottom Line: Take a dash of Echo & The Bunnymen, mix in a bit of New Order, and toss in strangely punk vocals and you get Texas native band [DARYL].
lambchops's Full Review: Uneven Surfaces [EP] by Daryl
Once upon a time I played the clarinet in High School band. The director’s name was Daryl (last name withheld from public view). He wasn’t cool. Ten years later, I still cringe at the name and find it rather difficult to think of “Daryl” in any other context aside from band class.
Fortunately, my significant prejudice against all things Daryl didn’t stop me from picking up and enjoying a certain EP from a certain identically named Texas band. Hailing from the Dallas area, Daryl (or [DARYL] as they suggest) is only just beginning to make an impact nationally. Considering that that band is named for the 1980’s techie film by the same name, it shouldn’t come as any shock that they don’t shy away from slickly produced electronic pop reminiscent of Echo & The Bunnymen and New Order.
Daryl debuted in 2001 with a full-length concept album by the name of The Technology. The band regrouped for their eponymous 2002 release. In 2003, Daryl returned for a third time with a new lineup and as a quintet for the first time. EP Uneven Surfaces boasts a lineup of singer Dylan Silvers and drummer Michael Lamm in addition to newcomers Dave Christensen (bass), Justin Wood (guitar) and Angie Comley (keyboard) not to mention seven overall pretty darned spiffy songs.
Immediately noticeable are Silvers’ vocals. He’s definitely leaning toward punk which is in great contrast to the band’s synth sounds. But whereas the mix could prove disastrous, I find myself instead keenly entertained. Daryl might not be the most unique band I’ve ever heard, but in truth I find the lack of pretension and all-out entertainment value of Uneven Surfaces makes up for any lack of originality. Then again it probably helps that I really do enjoy well-made 1980’s synth-pop…
Uneven Surfaces contains seven songs, most notable of which are two versions of Jenny, a song that earned the band notoriety on college radio on local stations. The radio edit sparkles with kinetic excitement. The synths aren’t overdone nor do they seem at all strange. Daryl grabbed my attention and transported me back a good twenty years. Much the same thing goes for the alternative version—except for the fact that it seems a bit more organic with amped up bass and guitars. It is thicker and richer than the radio edit—heck, methinks I like it even better.
While it is pretty clear that Uneven Surfaces is another way to get Jenny into the spotlight not to mention a brief primer for the band’s upcoming full-length album Ohio, the five songs that remain are certainly worth checking out. The EP itself is named after the lead-off track Uneven Surfaces (actually from Ohio). It begins abruptly with Silver’s voice, synths, and crazed percussion. My assumption is that Uneven Surfaces is intended to be the lead-off single. And if it is, I foresee added success in Daryl’s future.
Graffiti, Natalie W., Rooms 31 & 30, and The Make all easily hold my attention. But of those, I think Rooms 31 & 30 showcases the band in the most positive light. The acoustic offering proves that the band can drop all electronic instruments and still sound perfect. It pairs Silver with keyboardist Comley. They sing in controlled, perfect fashion along with just guitars. Whereas the other songs here are all pretty similar—fast paced and catchy melodies—Rooms 31 & 30 goes to show that Daryl has a heck of a lot more in their proverbial bag of tricks.
Uneven Surfaces is an impressive enough EP. For sheer entertainment value and unabashed reuse of 80’s synth pop I do have to commend the Texas natives. It’s fantastically fun and incredibly inviting pop music.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Uneven Surfaces
02. Jenny (alternate version)
03. Graffiti
04. Natalie W.
05. Rooms 31 & 30 (acoustic version)
06. The Make
07. Jenny (radio edit)
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