John Dufilho – S/T / 2005 Glurp / 13 Tracks / http://www.glurp.com / Reviewed 25 September 2005

I completely missed The Deathray Davies when they come out, but this self-titled first CD by John Dufilho really makes me want to track down all five disc eir did with the band. Each track on this album really recalls another of the best indie-rock bands. While “I’m Gonna Stay Under These Covers Today” seems to recall early Weezer, there is a much more noticeable Elvis Costello influence in “What Are You Waiting For?”. John is also quite a smart arranger, as the vast majority of tracks on this album are well under three minutes.

This means that tracks end well before individuals can grow tired of Dufilho’s sweet sounds. There seems to be a perfect amount of cohesion between the tracks on this album; the usual problem with these “all in one” discs (that is to say, discs in which all songs are written, played, and produced by one individual) is curiously absent. Much like the catchy, Elton John-like pop of a band like The Rocket Summer, John creates a timeless, solid brand of poppy-rock in tracks like “My Circuits Are Broken”. The sub-half hour runtime of this disc is a perfect indicator of John’s music; light and airy. It is honestly surprisingly when something even remotely cloudy (like the inclusion of “Disintegration”-like guitars during “When Madness Strikes Again”) is to be found on a disc.

“Paper Hats and Campfire Hands” uses some nice scales in its arrangements to really provide an intensity to the track that just is not paralleled anywhere else on the disc. “You’re The One That Makes Me Lose It” has the same fresh sound and innocuous tempo that “What Are You Waiting For?” had; this through and through quality really makes Dufilho one of the cutting-edge of indie-pop kids. The bonus track, which only lasts for thirty seconds really does not make sense in this context. Is it a precursor to the style of music that will be on the next album or simply something extra that Dufilho couldn’t work into any other track on this disc? While another album structured purely on this lines will not be too tremendously exciting (Dufilho really has probed the depths of the genre in a satisfying way), the quality in which this disc was crafted ensures that wherever ey does end up going for inspiration on the next disc, it will be ultimately satisfying.

Top Tracks: I’m Outside, My Circuits Are Blown

Rating: 6.0/10