A Flourish & A Spoilcomes to us from a Pennsylvanian band whose oldest member is 21 years old, which may strike fear into old-school rock purists as a sign that the millennials are taking over – but luckily The Districts hit you with a series of indie rock tunes faster than you can say, “Back in my day…”.
This record is a straight-up standard rock album; guitars, drums, bass and vocals are all that are used, and all that are needed. ‘Young Blood’ is an eight-minute epic that explores all the avenues of The Districts’ sound, with cool indie rock foundations, big builds and catchy lines. The songs are a little dirty in a very polished way. Indeed, this band has all the style, but might be lacking in the substance.
The dynamics of the record change with the two softer tracks that come in at key times. ‘Suburban Smell’ marvels in its imperfections, becoming a fragile and intimate track that is one of the highlights of the album. The closer, ‘6AM’, is one of the most distorted acoustic tracks you will ever hear.
A Flourish & A Spoil is a solid album, but little more. It’s built on great indie rock moments, but is spoiled by a one-dimensional presentation.
3/5.
