By Nick Marini, News Correspondent
Every once in a while, a person comes along who achieves the goal of a lifetime by the time they hit 20. This person may have created an app that caught fire, a short film that caught the attention of an industry leader or wrote a book that took the New York Times by storm. They have instant talent, beyond their years, that demands appreciation. The most recent case of this comes from talented 20-year olds out of Lititz, Penn. They go by the name The Districts.
When this type of feeling hits, it does so like a ton of bricks. Like a 50-year-old realizing his or her own mortality in the midst of a midlife crisis, experiencing talent like this from someone younger than you exhumes something of a “college graduate crisis.” It pokes at that untapped potential some simply do not possess. Hopefully, it won’t take anything away from the quality record this band dropped on Feb. 4, or your own aspirations.
The Districts have an immediate sound that carves a niche in a cluttered music scene with power, brains and nuance far beyond their years. It seems today that nobody has a new sound. “Telephone,” the aptly-lengthed 13 song record, does not create a new one. They do, however, carve a developed, strong, folk-rock sound from the likes of bands like Deer Tick, Dr. Dog, Kings of Leon and Delta Spirit. In one sense it’s heartland rock, in another, it’s jamming folk, and it all ties in with decent songwriting.
“Lyla” gets us started. “Good morning, Lyla,” the lead singer croons. As the sound crashes around him, he continues “the flowers bloomed months ago. And now the branches hang with autumn’s fire.” He goes on to describe how he found himself in a different place as the seasons change, and asks this Lyla “will we ever be, what this world was to you and me.”
It’s not revolutionary and sure, it’s easy to brush off the love of a 19-year-old worried about “city boys” and their dancing, but the melancholy energy makes you think twice about his testament. What isn’t captured in his words is done so by plucking, swelling guitars and a jazzy drum line completing the mood. Many songs, like “Piano Song,” “Long Distance” and “Lyla” break down into the whole band repeating riffs and singing a fraction of the chorus in unison. It isn’t lazy, and it sounds damn good. This gives the sense that the entire band is on the same page, contributing to one sound, together, on the same plane of both emotion and feeling.
The late-song rock out in the title-track “Telephone” demands attention and movement from a listener concerned about hard rock with a sense of structure and tone. They aren’t afraid to be loud to offset their young sensitivity.
There’s no shortage of folk here, either, as “Telephone” keeps up with trends of alternative radio rock. Harmonicas and pianos keep the energy gritty – these guys don’t want to forget their roots. Later in the record, we get lines about wanting to go home, a future uncertain or asking big questions like “ain’t it strange to be alive at all?”
A quick YouTube search will give you access to plenty of live shows and recordings. Even in early listenings, you can tell they have a sound tailored for concerts. It’s a jam-first, sing-along-second type of band that builds, crescendos, continues, then wants your pint filled, your heart thirsty and your friends (who also know the words) close by. It’s okay to long for someone and feel a little sad about it. Just let those refrains take you away.
They can play hard, they can bring it down a notch and they can jam. They demand a crowd to sing along with their refrains and tight choruses. It’s fresh and well-developed for a debut, and it gets loud. This is a band garnering substantial buzz for a good reason, with a healthy grasp of what their sound is in a time when folk-rock is making a swelling comeback. Watch out for these recent high school grads, and remember: be humble, because like Grandpa said, there will always be somebody out there who’s better. So take notes.
Top songs are “Funeral Beds,” “Telephone,” “Long Distance” and “Take Me Home.” The album is available for listening at thedistricts.bandcamp.com and on Spotify, and can be purchased on iTunes.
Photo courtesy Petras Gagilas, Creative Commons.
