Garage pop is gaining momentum, so it’s natural that we’re seeing lots of great bands that fit the description. But while most of these bands are injecting a massive quantity of fuzz into their guitars and vocals as well as whatever other instruments they can get their hands on, Darlings keep the gritty garage sounds refreshingly clean on Yeah I Know.
Thus the production features stripped-down instrumentation that’s raw; it’s also filled with a pop bounce and enough hooks to get you caught up in its simplicity.
Simplicity may or may not be the right term, as there is a complexity to virtually every song; it’s just that every instrument comes across effortlessly.
“TV” and “Eviction Party” kick off Yeah I Know with two easy high points, but they are far from done giving the listener great tunes. “Teenage Girl” and “Yeah I Know” have memorable vocal hooks, while “Friends Forever” is a sing-and-curse along track fit for everyone but your boss and mother. “If This Is Love” closes with yet another epic garage pop anthem — in fact, Yeah I Know is album that features one epic garage pop anthem after another.
And the result is perfect… Yeah I Know is a flawless ode to the hottest of summer days. These are songs you love to sweat to, great for blasting out of boom box or laptop speakers while kicking back on your (or your friend’s) deck while holding a beer and cooking up some barbecue on the grill. It has the perfect vocal harmonies and guitar riffs for any of these scenarios and likely fifty thousand more.
This is without a doubt THE garage pop album of the summer.
