Brothers Christian and Louie Baello are from California and they make a sound as Dream, Ivory that aligns with that of Blink 182 before them. The Filipino-American duo also conjure up vibes like those of My Chemical Romance here on their new album, About a Boy. If the music isn't entirely distinctive, it's at least performed with enough gusto as to recommend it for those who are into this genre.
"Soaking Up the Sickness" is remarkably radio-friendly, and in an earlier year this would have been a big modern rock hit. The same goes for "Everybody is Something (Nobody is Nothing)", a memorable highlight here. The majority of About a Boy has real throwback charm, even if a listener feels like this has been heard before. Still, for what they set out to do, the Baello brothers succeeded admirably. This whole record is sharp, sleek, and catchy. Fans of Nineties pop-punk will love this probably more than I did, as will those who are more partial to the era's emo bands than I am.
About a Boy is out now. More details on the website for Dream, Ivory.
[Photo: Liam Walsh]