Nerd Parade
Daylight Saving Time
By Ellen Eldridge
Introduced by spacey, electronic messages and plodding rock, Nerd Parade’s third full-length release, Daylight Saving Time, announced spring’s arrival in a homegrown and metaphorical manner.
The album title could symbolize the spring season with its March 13 release date (the same date Atlantans turned the clocks to “spring forward”), but more likely Nerd Parade wanted to re-announce itself as more than just a band of guys recorded and mastering in their home studios; they wanted to regain a stronger sense of southern style and move away from the more experimental electronic work of the first two releases.
“Beneath the Frequency” marches on with funky bass lines and airy guitar bends symbolic of the ever-changing line-up of the group. The end of the track unleashes a frequency of voices which sounds like crossed wires coming through a radio, but the vocal melody ending the song ties it all together with flavored eclecticism.
“Tomato Witch” nearly misses R.E.M. in its mood and its chorus, “Onward, upward, up, and out, take me with you,” goads listeners to sing along. Yet, the tracks all do one thing well; they add that air of space travel and electronic mood altering while holding steady to a sense of rock so as not to lose the mainstream. In this way, Daylight Saving Time elicits Nerd Parade as an Atlanta band to watch.
The solo in “Saucer Shapes” speaks the blues as it wails along inspiring the hearts of those in the audience with its sultry sadness and the single, “Pity Party,” cruises with rougher-edged vocals. The closing track rides out for over six minutes and tidies up the metaphor of enjoying spring and its light with its title, “Summer Strays.” The drawn-out and echoing guitar riff seems to float under backup, repeated lines. Nerd Parade fabulously maintains its independence and eclecticism while forging ahead into more mainstream waters where the band is only bound to find more fans.
Tour plans include the Decatur Green Fest on May 7 and the North River Tavern in Sandy Springs on May 20. Fans can buy and download tracks for a mere $3 from the Bandcamp site http://nerdparade.bandcamp.com/album/daylight-saving-time.
