California's Dutch Interior have ambitions wrapped in a modest approach. The opening track on their new album, "Canada" builds like something from Spirit of Eden. The cut has a rustic vibe, however, which suggests any number of American indie bands from the Nineties. Moneyball, the new long-player, is full of tracks which sort of sneak up on you in a neat way.
A listen to something like "Wood Knot" suggests that this band's been listening to Wowee Zowee a lot. Dutch Interior are not as interested in the English major-ish clever wordplay but the mood. This particular selection finds a nice groove, especially when a slide guitar enters. Mixing by Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse) gives this a warm richness too. Elsewhere, that slide guitar carries "Sweet Time" into interesting territory. This is as close as indie is likely to get to genuine country swing, but it works very well.
All across Moneyball Dutch Interior find a path between clearly country-inspired indie rock, and a style best compared to Nineties acts like Pavement and Beulah in their final years. The hushed, nearly-whispered "Science Fiction" and "Life (So Crazy)", two highlights for me, chart a slightly different direction, one where intimacy is the point, and the moody down-tempo ramblings take on a certain dramatic vibe which this listener found very compelling. The peak is reached on closer "Beekeeping", where the addition of strings adds a fullness to the band's material that suggests yet another path for this six-piece. Highly recommended.
Moneyball by Dutch Interior is out now via Fat Possum Records.
[Photo: Julien Sage]