This is not the kind of record I would normally like, with its peppy boy/girl late ‘80s college rock harmonies. But damn, it’s just so good, catchy, lighthearted, well executed and fun to listen to that even my internal Leather Tuscadero is tapping her foot. This Bay Area five-piece is as poppy as poppy can be. Their sound is an updated blend of classic college rock heroes like They Might Be Giants, XTC, early REM and even the Pixies. While their overwhelming tendency is to be cute and playful, they are not entirely without sonic backbone.
"Jubilation", the album opener, is just that. It’s a hooky celebration of all things melodic and quirky. Lyrically, the song is ridiculously clever, with its references to crippled Arabs and missing teeth. The music's good-naturedness belies the warped unfairness of the song’s actual story. And the noisy electric guitar lines are dizzying, leaving us to feel not too unlike the battered protagonist of the song.
20 Minute Loop isn’t all daisy-picking and white-toothed smiles, though. They also have a firm mastery of the quiet and contemplative, as in the cryptic "Elephant". Perhaps it’s their version of "Major Tom", with a disoriented astronaut dreamily staring into the void while reporting back to Mission Control. "Aquarium", the album closer, evokes a similar sense of floating. Fortunately, the semi-hidden track at the disc's end is far more upbeat, pleasantly jarring you out of your ultra-relaxed, semi-catatonic state.
The triumph of Decline of Day is in the incredible vocal pairing of Kelly Atkins and Greg Giles. Their voices are so complementary, their duets so spot-on, that I was immediately won over to their self-described "freakpop". Maybe what’s freaky about their pop is just how good it actually is.
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