Deathray

Few people have heard of Deathray, but its self-titled album is definitely worth a listen. Most often referred to as the band "featuring former members of Cake," the group enlists the help of former guitarist Greg Brown and bassist Victor Damiani. But make no mistake, Deathray is not a Cake wannabe. In fact, Brown and Damiani have obviously left their gritty days behind them. Deathray combines an interesting mix of pop-infusion, jazz beats and new wave sound into likeable pop tunes. \nThe album starts off with the quirky "My Lunatic Friends." The radio-friendly harmonies are paired with deadpan vocals. Although seemingly sung with no emotion, the keyboard-driven background melodies take an interesting spin and make the song as sunny as a summer day. The album rolls through the rest of its set with the funky beats and somewhat longing vocals in "Only Lies" to the catchy "Now That I am Blind," which will have listeners humming for days afterward. \nThe best song on the album would have to be the acoustic "What Would You Do?". Creating an interesting track that sounds like something straight out of the 1980s, Deathray combines quirky lyrics with long drawn-out vocals. The result is truly magic. \nThe band describes its sound as "1965 by way of 1979" by filtering 1960s pop into the new wave sounds that emerged in the late 1970s. This makes the album one to blare your speakers and sing along to. It rocks and leaves the listener feeling happy and thinking of summer. \nIt is a shame that Deathray didn't record this album in the 1980s because it would have been a sure hit. But even for those who shy away from '80s music, this record is worth listening to. The craftsmanship of the lyrics combined with cool beats has something for everyone. So run, run, run to your nearest music retailer and pick up Deathray's self-titled album. You won't regret the purchase.