Here's hoping that new wave makes a comeback. Somewhere between machine-generated blips and the human emotions of songwriting, the '80s-era pop style could be just the thing to help all those boy-band fans bridge the gap between the Backstreet Boys and Big Star, once their hormones settle a bit. And if there's any justice, that revival will start soon. The self-titled debut from Sacramento's Deathray is so good, it's worth forgiving guitarist Greg Brown and bassist Victor Damiani for their work in Cake. Whereas that band was stiff in its attempt to deliver irony-heavy, funky alt-rock, Deathray has more in common with straightforward new wave pop like the Cars and old-school rock like the Raspberries, and with just enough attitude. They're like the Pixies' pop twins armed with analog synths. Producer Eric Valentine has worked with Smash Mouth and Third Eye Blind, but he redeems himself here, guiding the band through 13 tracks in just 35 minutes -- brevity that points more to the Kinks than to forgettable alternarock.
And there are at least four tracks that qualify as old-fashioned radio hits -- hummable melodies, lyrics that you can sing along with -- but that's probably wishful thinking. Still, if the laser-beam synthesizer-driven power ballad "Now That I Am Blind" doesn't come pumping through your radio sometime soon, it'll be downright tragic. But there's more going on here than just simple, hook-filled songs; Deathray get a ton of color and mileage from a cheap keyboard -- the Radio Shack version of the Moog. Its buttery fuzz provides a foundation for the songs without getting in the way. "Check It Over" is a fevered blast of guitars on a bed of whining, burbling drones and bleeps from the synth. In terms of tempo and attitude, it shows a glimpse of punk, with the band careening across simple, chunky chords and singer Dana Gumbiner intoning, "This ship is sinking, but it's all right." It's the least developed song on the record -- the hook seems a bit forced -- but coming as it does just about halfway through the album, it works as a sort of palate cleanser, with the Moog taking a high-end, melodic solo toward the end. The Moog also plays a big role on the odd, noisy "Baby Polygon." Sort of a ballad, the song merges acoustic guitars, the ubiquitous synth, and a drum machine with lo-fi, home-recorded production. It's also gorgeous -- closing with layers of wordless vocals and the whining keyboard.
But what really makes the record remarkable is that Deathray manage to employ so many variations of their style in such a short amount of time -- and still keep it catchy. "What Would You Do?" is almost soft pop, with acoustic guitars and AM-gold beauty merged with the neo-Crowded House harmonies of Damiani and Gumbiner. And "Scott," with its threatening opening line ("Scott, if I ever see you, I am going to kill you") delivered at a conversational level, is just creepy. The guitars eventually kick in, but they drop back down almost as quickly. Deathray do all of this without much irony -- one more reason that they could bridge the gap between accessible crap and accessible good. Keep your fingers crossed. David Simutis
