A two-piece outfit described variously as punk, emo or the ever-tempting catch all ‘indie’, the oddly-named New Jersey band, Dads, seem to have accrued an enviable following across the pond. With three albums under their belt and an impressive line-up of tour dates, I had high expectations for their soon-to-be-released album I’ll be the Tornado.
The opener ‘Grand Edge, MI’ has a sound redolent of The xx, with acoustic guitars drenched in reverb and moody vocals. It is a shame, then, that lead singer John Bradley’s voice doesn’t live up to this comparison. Nasal and wandering, the singing is often simply off-key, grating against the otherwise skilled guitar playing.
A rocky sound defines the rest of the album, almost erring on the side of metal. This is exem- plified in ‘Sold Year / Transitions’ — an up-tempo, heavy track which suits Bradley’s high-powered vocal style much better than the album’s slower songs.
The band’s lyrics leave a lot to be desired. ‘Chewing Ghosts’ includes such awkward lines as “we could be drunk together / we could be punk together”. Later in the album, the track ‘But’ rhymes “necessity” with “chest cavity”. Bizarre.
Medical terms aside, the album does have some redeeming features. The energy is kept up from beginning to end, and the vocals have real feeling, making up perhaps for the out of tune singing.
From Frank Sinatra to Whitney Houston, New Jersey has produced countless A-listers over the years. However, Dads seem unlikely to make the grade.
