by Marianne Meyer
The Canadian art-rock band called The Darcys don't give much away when it comes to who they are and what they’re up to. The band’s website offers no biographical material, nor does its American public relations team reveal any such background info. Even the official press photo is a confusing, multiple-exposure shot that leaves one not quite sure that the group is a quartet (that is confirmed by the publicist).
It could all be very annoying and pretentious but when it comes to the music, this Toronto-based group is very generous – giving away two of its recent albums as free downloads. The Darcys’ self-titled sophomore album, produced by Murray Lightburn of The Dears, was released last October 25 on the respected Canadian label, Arts & Crafts. The latest, an intriguing track-for-track reinterpretation of Steely Dan’s classic 1977 album “Aja,” was released just last week. You can grab both gratis at TheDarcys.ca.
Although "Aja" is new for the taking, it was actually done first - produced, arranged and recorded at home through the summer and fall of 2010 during a difficult period. The group was reeling from having its former lead singer quit and, with no label and its second album stalled in the mixing stage, the band was unable to track new material. So it turned to reshaping the collective Steely Dan favorite. As drummer Wes Marskell put it, “It became as much an art project as an album.”
To Steely Dan purists and those who don’t appreciate radical reworkings of beloved tunes, The Darcys' take on “Aja” may not sit well but, like Radiohead before them and James Blake more recently, the band takes bold delight in attacking traditional pop-rock song structure with playful experimentation. Many of the songs are nearly unrecognizable at first, the perfectionist sheen of Fagen and Becker’s studio obsessions replaced with a lo-fi indie rock vibe (“Black Cow”), brooding, down-tempo dreamscapes (“Aja”) or a smattering of dub-meets-garage (“Deacon Blues”).“Peg” sounds deliberately off-kilter, “I Got the News” has breathy vocal harmonies of a Grizzly Bear nature, and “Home at Last” is a spacey, Pink Floyd-ian exploration that lifts-off into a spectral guitar jam.
You can love it or leave it (I’m leaning toward the former) but, at these prices, why not at least give The Darcys a listen? “It is very important to us that this album is accessible and can be enjoyed easily,” a note on the site reads, stressing that no money need enter the equation. “We are eager to have the world hear what we have spent a great deal of time creating. We would rather have you as a fan tomorrow than have a little of your money today.” (Still, if you’re an old school type and/or can’t resist spending a little something, both albums are available on limited edition vinyl.)
The band does have one simple request: “In exchange, we would be very grateful if you would take a moment and share this download with your friends.” (Done.) You can also show your support by catching the band on tour beginning Valentine’s Day, when they hit the road supporting Bombay Bicycle Club.
The Darcys' Tour Dates with Bombay Bicycle Club
2/14: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
2/15: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
2/16: San Francisco, CA @ Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop
2/17: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
2/18: Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
2/20: Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
2/21: Kamloops, BC @ Blue Grotto
2/22: Calgary, AB @ Republik
2/23: Edmonton, AB @ Starlite
2/25: Winnipeg, MB @ West End Cultural Centre
2/26: Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
2/27: Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
2/29: Columbus, OH @ The Basement
3/01: Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club
3/03: Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
3/05: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
3/07: Washington, DC @ 930 Club
3/08: Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
3/09: Boston, MA @ Middle East
3/10: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
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