Artist Review: Beautiful Small Machines, The DJ Stayed Home
Artist: Beautiful Small Machines
Album: The DJ Stayed Home
Genre: Electro-Twang / Rock
RIYL: Arcade Fire, Blondie, MGMT, The Postal Service
Beautiful Small Machines was formed in 2009 by Bree Sharp and Don DiLego in New York City. Sharp takes on lead vocal and lyricist duties while DiLego provides production and plays the lion’s share of instruments on The DJ Stayed Home, including guitar, bass, piano, drums, harmonica and cowbell, among “other nifty things he finds lying around.” But the cohesion between the pair comes in the form of shared songwriting duties, with a clear emphasis on intricate and cleverly crafted arrangement.
If Sharp sounds familiar, that’s because you’ve undoubtedly heard her solo cult hit “David Duchovny (Why Won’t You Love Me).” The duo previously collaborated on debut EP Robots in Love, but the release of The DJ Stayed Home is a notable step forward as Sharp and DiLego focus on sharp, clean production and engaging rhythms and melodies. The title track is a charmer, and rides that fine line of quirk and accessibility that’s helped along by Sharp’s ability to tell a compelling story through her honey-laced tone and lyrics.
“Bring Out Your Dead” makes use of some terrific and impactful percussive rhythm and a more assertive lead vocal. The inclusion of their previously released version of MIA’s “Paper Planes” is welcome, though their original work is ultimately more intriguing and dynamic by comparison. That’s not to say it’s not good, but this duo doesn’t need the recognition factor of sandwiching it in between two songs that are stronger than this cover.
“The Girls Are Here” is just a fun song, from start to finish, channeling something akin to The Go Go’s or Blondie. It’s the perfect song to put on before heading out on a Friday night, an amped up and instantly likable pop gem that finds Sharp pushing the edges out on a controlled but aggressive vocal. “East Side” again finds the duo combing the best of 80’s and 90’s indie pop rock, reminiscent of Juliana Hatfield or Belly. “In the Name of Revenge” takes us down a different path, a slightly sexier and darker place that works exceedingly well. And the closing track, “The Wretched Sound of City Cars,” moves even slightly further away from the pop that drives the front half of the record, and it’s a welcome departure that incorporates acoustic guitar and a softer touch.
At the core of the material on The DJ Stayed Home there lies an instant likability and charm that owes as much to Sharp’s vocal versatility to DiLego’s smart and creative instrumentation. The overall sound is infectious and tough to get out of your head once you start listening; that’s a testament to how well this duo gels as a songwriting partnership. What remains to be seen, however, is how far they can push this with their future material. I would love to hear them take even more risks because the potential and chops are clearly there. For now, however, there are a lot of wonderful moments to be satisfied with on The DJ Stayed Home.
Beautiful Small Machines website: http://www.beautifulsmallmachines.com/
(This originally appeared on Indie-Music.com at: http://www.indie-music.com/ee/index.php/blog/comments/review_beautiful_small_machines_the_dj_stayed_home)
Album: The DJ Stayed Home
Genre: Electro-Twang / Rock
RIYL: Arcade Fire, Blondie, MGMT, The Postal Service
Beautiful Small Machines was formed in 2009 by Bree Sharp and Don DiLego in New York City. Sharp takes on lead vocal and lyricist duties while DiLego provides production and plays the lion’s share of instruments on The DJ Stayed Home, including guitar, bass, piano, drums, harmonica and cowbell, among “other nifty things he finds lying around.” But the cohesion between the pair comes in the form of shared songwriting duties, with a clear emphasis on intricate and cleverly crafted arrangement.
If Sharp sounds familiar, that’s because you’ve undoubtedly heard her solo cult hit “David Duchovny (Why Won’t You Love Me).” The duo previously collaborated on debut EP Robots in Love, but the release of The DJ Stayed Home is a notable step forward as Sharp and DiLego focus on sharp, clean production and engaging rhythms and melodies. The title track is a charmer, and rides that fine line of quirk and accessibility that’s helped along by Sharp’s ability to tell a compelling story through her honey-laced tone and lyrics.
“Bring Out Your Dead” makes use of some terrific and impactful percussive rhythm and a more assertive lead vocal. The inclusion of their previously released version of MIA’s “Paper Planes” is welcome, though their original work is ultimately more intriguing and dynamic by comparison. That’s not to say it’s not good, but this duo doesn’t need the recognition factor of sandwiching it in between two songs that are stronger than this cover.
“The Girls Are Here” is just a fun song, from start to finish, channeling something akin to The Go Go’s or Blondie. It’s the perfect song to put on before heading out on a Friday night, an amped up and instantly likable pop gem that finds Sharp pushing the edges out on a controlled but aggressive vocal. “East Side” again finds the duo combing the best of 80’s and 90’s indie pop rock, reminiscent of Juliana Hatfield or Belly. “In the Name of Revenge” takes us down a different path, a slightly sexier and darker place that works exceedingly well. And the closing track, “The Wretched Sound of City Cars,” moves even slightly further away from the pop that drives the front half of the record, and it’s a welcome departure that incorporates acoustic guitar and a softer touch.
At the core of the material on The DJ Stayed Home there lies an instant likability and charm that owes as much to Sharp’s vocal versatility to DiLego’s smart and creative instrumentation. The overall sound is infectious and tough to get out of your head once you start listening; that’s a testament to how well this duo gels as a songwriting partnership. What remains to be seen, however, is how far they can push this with their future material. I would love to hear them take even more risks because the potential and chops are clearly there. For now, however, there are a lot of wonderful moments to be satisfied with on The DJ Stayed Home.
Beautiful Small Machines website: http://www.beautifulsmallmachines.com/
(This originally appeared on Indie-Music.com at: http://www.indie-music.com/ee/index.php/blog/comments/review_beautiful_small_machines_the_dj_stayed_home)
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