Ogres
Independent
By Chris Homer
Listening to Ogres, the
newest album from New Jersey
The Delfields, it is difficult not to compare the band to The Shins. Right
away, the group hits you with “A Slippery Slope,” a track that earns the
aforementioned comparison with its sunny, psychedelic-tasting guitar riffs and
heavily reverbed vocals that often border falsetto.
While you’ve probably heard other bands use a very similar
sound as The Delfields, Ogres is
still a worthwhile listen. The band shows the beauty behind simplicity, as many
of the tracks are built around a simple guitar melody often accented with
carefully crafted keyboard parts. “Francine” and “Short Sleeves” exemplify this sound the
best. There aren’t a lot of layers to either song, but the foot-tapping,
smile-inducing guitar hooks keep them fresh.
Ogres also shows
that The Delfields have spent time studying classic 60’s pop. “Solvents and
Vacuums” and “Our Beds” sound like modern takes on surf rock, and the
high-energy pop sound behind each create the album’s most memorable tracks. Likewise, the title-track “Ogres” starts with a droning
guitar part that builds into a fast-paced chorus that retains the best
influences from “Solvents and Vacuums” and “Our Beds.”
If you get tired of the constant visions of sunny days and
summer that the record conjures up, The Delfields also succeed with the
melancholy “Highlands
heavily distorted guitar riff gives way to wild orchestral experimentation.
Overall, Ogres positions
The Delfields nicely for future projects. While the band’s sound will remind
you of their predecessors that have seen success with a similar formula, it is
also easy to see their distinct style beginning to develop.
