As a somewhat “jaded” musical observer, it isn’t often that a record catches you off guard by mixing sounds and vibes both of (and not of) its time.  It’s the Willennium after all – everybody does that!

Ducktails’, The Flower Lane, isn’t just a rare “out of the blue” pleasure, it honestly seems to have come from some other reality, blending non-intrusive contemporary production with a mix of distinctive melodic vocal and guitar signposts, most of which aren’t even especially hip at the moment.  Maybe won’t even be hip again.

Lets just go ahead and get the reviewer name/genre/date check out of the way:  The Chills, Kiwi-Rock, Ivy, late 80s-early 90s, Lush, Chillwave, Bikeride, The Go-Betweens…

Songs such as the lead-in “Ivy Covered House” and “Planet Phrom” pull from a late 80s guitar sound with a generous application of digital room delay, relaxed tempos and a smattering of abstruse lyrics [like what the hell is “making love with my alien wife” driving at?].  To this we join a complementary/contemporary Chillwave aesthetic currently championed by Chaz Bundick, featuring steady beats, slightly extended playing times and non-intrusive production choices.  See “Assistant Director”, “Under Cover” and “Timothy Sky”.

While these are all wholly enjoyable, let’s focus more on a few special standouts:

“The Flower Lane” – Beyond the cool phased/chorus-ed out electric piano, with that killer pre-chorus (first heard at 0:38), perhaps the most heartening aspect of this number is how well it proves the male baritone can be melodic and appealing.  [See “Party in My Heart” as another personal favorite.]  It’s bizarre to think that at one point this vocal approach had mass appeal with independent music types in the late 80s and early 9os.  Luckily, as you might be able to conclude, a few hundred similar-sounding records and anemic production standards of the day drove its laid-back posturing into the ground, but, in this song we have a fine and invigorating example.

“Letter of Intent” – Could this be a great, lost track from Lush, Saint Etienne, Blondfire (Astaire)?  No!  This is a new, brilliant collection of everything that makes those female-fronted groups great.  Starting with the electronic drum-sounding intro, the fey vocals positioned between The Essex Green and Ivy (and a tad Cocteau Twins in parts), this song delivers in a way that surely a movie soundtrack will reward them generously for some day.

“Sedan Magic” – Amongst an album of moody, atmospheric selections, this song rises above and delivers all the goods.  We have a frothy atmosphere worthy of 10CC, a lifting female counterbalance in the hook, and, a guitar contribution starting at 2:58 that pulls, perhaps unknowingly from “You Got Lucky”.  Who would complain about that?  Honestly, the most enjoyable 5 minutes of my music-listening life in an  “out of the blue moon”.

Typically, I’ll make a note of all the little instrumental contributions and melodic counterpoints, but here there are so many shining moments that such an inventory is unnecessary.  Suffice it to say, if anything above strikes you as appealing – Ducktails will deliver.  As fair mention, there is one toss-off instrumental track, and the final number harkens back to the band’s lo-fi roots falling short of all aforementioned.  But these are not critiques, so much as observations of the two non-complementary moments.  No one’s perfect.

Hope these guys get their due.

-MYH