Straight out of Louisville, KY, is the indie pop rock band Mansions. Dig Up The Dead, their third studio album, is set to be released on April 5. Mainly a solo band headed by Christopher Browder, there are a few guest appearances by vocalist Robin Dove and Sal Cassato on drums. The disc has 10 songs, all of which are three minutes and change.
“Dig Up The Dead” kicks off the CD and it is a light, acoustic track. “Blackest Sky” has a great chorus and talks about wanting to be popular by downing a bottle of whiskey and throwing some chairs into the pool, something I’m sure most of us can relate to. The album gets a bit faster with an electric guitar and drums from Cassato on “Not My Blood.”
The emotional “City Don’t Care,” is about losing hope and how the silence is getting louder. A constant, steady bass line with light vocals makes up the track “Call Me When It’s Over.” Perhaps the best song is “Seven Years.” It’s a slow-paced, whispering tune, but contains some powerful electric guitars towards the end and features Dove on backing vocals. “You Got Cool” is about how Browder used to be close with someone, who starting hanging out with the bad crowd and won’t even give him the time of day now.
Not the most inspiring disc I’ve ever heard, but a few tracks are quite enjoyable. It may not be the most attractive upon first listen, but it does get better the second time around.
The songwriting does get a bit too repetitive, however.
In A Word: Gloomy
