Ever since I popped Draw a distance. Draw a border. into my stereo about a week ago I've been listening to the Details on repeat, in part because I was almost immediately sure I wanted to post on the album, and in part because I wanted to discern if their music is the type that gets better with each listen. I'm still not sure.Draw a distance. Draw a border. places humorless, tension-fraught lyrics, written in complete sentences, over the backdrop of a vast musical landscape, with instrumentation that is imposing enough to advertise that the band's music must have some deeper meaning. The combination is a dangerous one, as likely to result in utter failure as success. The Details achieve the latter on a little less than half the album, but considering the scope of their attempt, I'd say that's worthy of notice.
The album concerns itself a good deal with the consequences of war and the politics behind it - personalizing all three, a formula that has been successful for the National and (occasionally) John Vanderslice. This doesn't work for the Details, who are at their best in songs that deal solely with the personal, not the personalized. Slow numbers don't work too well for them either, though oftentimes their best songs begin in quiet and build to a climax. They're Canadian, and I'm starting to wonder... maybe there's a Canadian musical conspiracy going down? Like Mike over at Obscure Sound, I wouldn't be surprised if they made it to radio.
The Details - Always, Always, Always, Never.
The Details - Capture and Develop
Draw a distance. Draw a border. will be released on September 25th.
The Details' Myspace
Labels: artist profile, canadians, review, the details, upcoming
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