Allo Darlin'

Allo Darlin' (2010)

David

Often called "the pop-est band in punk and the punkest band in pop," Allo Darlin' could probably be called twee, except that they don't really like that label. Elizabeth Darling, also a member of Tender Trap with Amelia Fletcher, croons out some of the catchiest, sweetest songs around.

The album kicks off with "Dreaming", a poppy tune in the vein of the legendary "C Is the Heavenly Option". The song can't quite compete with Heavenly's (Monster Bobby is no Calvin Johnson), but it gets the album off to a great start.

The album has some really phenomenal tracks. It will probably only take one listen for "Kiss Your Lips" to be mercilessly stuck in your head. And "My Heart Is a Drummer" is just as catchy, with a great music video to boot. Elizabeth's Australian accent (though the band is London-based) comes through hard, making these songs especially addictive (and I don't even have an accent fetish).

My only complaint about the album is that the two or three slower songs aren't quite as catchy. Having talked to a lot of Allo Darlin' fans, I may be in the minority on this, but the slower songs don't stick in my head quite as well. That isn't to say they aren't great songs, but I pretty much turn to pop music for addictive, catchy tunes rather than anything deeper, so I found myself skipping over these tracks after the first dozen listens.

Anyways, Allo Darlin' is really great, and if you have any interest in pop music, make sure to check this out.