Lee’s Listening Stack: The Damnwells – ‘No One Listens to the Band Anymore’

The Damnwells
No One Listens to the Band Anymore
(Poor Man Records)

The Damnwells’ combination of tenacity and tenderness has never been more striking than on their latest album, the strangely dubbed opus, No One Listens to the Band Anymore. The fact is, this offering ought to get the fans listening intently, what with its rollercoaster of emotion and a stirring determination that asserts both their authority and defiance. The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Austin-based band has been quietly ruminating below the surface for several years, but finally struck critical pay dirt with their last effort, One Last Century, an album that saw a dramatic move forward in terms of song craft and execution.

Happily then, the band continue to pursue that trajectory with their new disc, effortlessly navigating the divide between fierce intention (“She Goes Around,” the title track, “The Experts”) and wrenching, heartfelt reflection (“The Great Unknown,” “Werewolves,” “Sophia”). At times, they even manage to meld the two extremes, as demonstrated on “The Monster,” where a teeming, understated introduction segues into a soaring dramatic ascent. The end result is a compelling set of songs that embraces the listener early on and never relinquishes its grip until the final notes fade. A gritty statement on today’s malaise, with an insurgent attitude to boot, the Damnwells demonstrate yet again that true damnation is often simply a state of mind. – Lee Zimmerman

Lee Zimmerman is a contributor to a variety of publications, including Blurt, M Music & Musicians, New Times, Goldmine and Amplifier

This review appears courtesy of Amplifier, 50,000 Watts of Non-Stop Indie Rock
http://amplifiermagazine.blogspot.com/