Reviewed :: Louder My Dear - What's The Matter With You, Rock?

Louder My Dear is Boston's rising electronic/indie pop outfit, fronted by former Scuba founder David Grabowski. After the unfortunate demise of his former band, Grabowski armed with an albums worth of new matterial and with some assistance from Mike Quinn at Sommerville's Moontower Studios, began recording the tracks that would eventually become Louder My Dear's debut. Once the LMD line-up was solidified with Dennis Grabowski from Boston's post punk titans, The Beatings, Jason Macierowski on Bass, and Jim Greenleaf on Drums the band started playing shows in and around Boston to concordant praise.

What's The Matter With You, Rock? is an ambitious blend of electronics, sheets of distortion, and intelligent lyrics, not to mention deftly executed pop hooks. With a buoyant piano line, horn accompaniment and the opening line "please don't tell me you're pregnant" With A Dancer is the ace in the deck, it's stark lyricism is balanced beautifully by the tracks breezy and varied instrumentation. Throughout What's The Matter With You, Rock? LMD call upon an expansive palate of influences , from Swervedriver to Underworld without ever coming off as copyists, quite the opposite actually. The album closes with Little Boats, an austere acoustic strummer that utilizes nautical imagery with devastating effect. I can't say it's a grower if I've been listening to this album on a daily basis over the past couple of weeks now can I? But I will say that once What's The Matter With You, Rock? takes hold it won't loosen it's considerable grip. A wholly enjoyable and sparkling debut.

What's The Matter With You, Rock is available now at Louder My Dear's label home, Middriff Records. You can also listen to the album in it's entirety below.