The debut full-length from Ducks Ltd. is the sort of record that we almost didn't know we needed. Of course, those of us who raved about their EP this year knew this goodness was coming. Modern Fiction, out tomorrow on Carpark Records, is full of snappy, sinewy indie, with each selection here sounding like the best bands you grew up on, whether you listened to New Order, Orange Juice, C86 stuff, or Slumberland Records groups.
While some of this, like the peppy "Fit to Burst" has all the energy of an old Close Lobsters side, some of what's on Modern Fiction is more deliberately paced. The elegant "Patience Wearing Thin" and the bass-anchored "Always There" reveal debts owed to the young Roddy Frame and Bernard Sumner, respectively, even as "How Lonely are You", the album opener, roars like David Gedge and the Weddoes in 1988.
All of this album is great, but I think Modern Fiction succeeds most at showing that Ducks Ltd. are expert at blending mood and tonal shift this time around. Whether it's the energetic "18 Cigarettes" with its Cure hooks, or the more complex "Old Times", a nice marriage of the jittery emotions of Orange Juice and the bass-centered melodicism of anything Peter Hook ever played on. Whether it's fast or not so fast, each composition on Modern Fiction ranks with some of the very best indie being made in 2021. And that makes Modern Fiction a classic record right upon its release.
Modern Fiction is out now via Carpark Records.
More details via the Ducks Ltd. Facebook page.
[Photo: Rob Carmichael, Chritiane Johnson, Laura Hermiston]