[rating=2.50]
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On the second album by the pride of Sydney, Australia, Dappled Cities delivers hooky pop-rock that is eclectic and experimental, but still manages to be a little bland. The strongest track is the opener, “Holy Chord,” that starts with a soft, catchy beat that eventually gives way to overdrive and power chords. In this song, as in many others, vocalist Tim Derricourt varies his vocals between his normal pitch and falsetto. Like the myriad tempo changes and loud/soft shifts, this vocal experimentation at times makes it feel like Dappled Cities is toying with the listener, playing around just to see how “clever” or “original” they can be. It would suit them well to simplify things a little. Though their sound is interesting, it seems to lack any emotional substance. Though each track can stand out as a good song by itself, the album, when taken as a whole, seems to blend together as a collection of pseudo-witty tracks by a band that seems to like being quirky for quirk’s sake.
