Oakland-based Neutrals’ sophomore full-length New Town Dream contrasts jangly guitar and memorable melodic hooks with bleak mid-century UK imagery for a start-to-finish narrative of nostalgia and wit.
With this latest release (out on Slumberland Records in the U.S.), Neutrals build on their C86 associations and their signature post-punk indie pop sound, skillfully delivering deadpan lyrics and bright guitar riffs amid found audio, noise experiments, and new wave asides. New Town Dream rewards the top-to-bottom album listener: The singles “That’s Him on the Daft Stuff Again” and “Wish You Were Here” are obvious stand-outs, but this reviewer’s favorite tracks were smack in the middle of the album with “Last Orders”, “Steven Proctor, Bus Conductor”, and “The Iron That Never Swung”. Those songs in particular showcase their strength as storytellers applying classic mod and post-punk tools to transport listeners to another place and time.
Neutrals are fresh off of playing Oakland Weekender, but mark your calendars for their July 19th show at Unimatrix Zero in Oakland and September 18th at the Knockout (SF).
