For every screaming music dance craze, for every generation’s “turn off that racket” rock and roll or cacophony punk noise comes an equally hip yet polar opposite sound. The new millennium’s second decade has been kind to bands that have turned down and spread out their sound, spawning a solid scene of experimental folk, singer songwriters, and an encyclopedia of other low volume sub genres to round out the sound of the town. Hampstead, New Hampshire’s own Bells Down fit nicely into this niche of acoustic based bands, and their first E.P. Destroyer acts as a fine introduction to the Granite State outfit.
Destroyer is a five track sampler that shows off the band’s sit-around-the-campfire song style. The numbers are laced with a variety of acoustic string set ups, nuanced brass, and sing along gang vocals. The harmonies on the songs are well executed and come off especially well in the title track, where a dueling ukulele/vocal bridge gives the song a sort of old world tone that doesn’t come off as tacked on. The E.P’s lyrics are mostly disenchanted poems with themes of thin line love and hate and fickle passion that lead singer Bayley Blaisdell delivers with a clean and untouched vocal track that roots the E.P. as a self-recorded effort.
All together, Destroyer acts as a quick and solid moody E.P. with simple but enjoyable production and interesting instrumentation. Fans of such acts as Feist, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Saint Vincent would be well advised to check it out.–Anthony Geehan