All Music Guide
Straight outta Silver Lake comes The Deadly Syndrome, the newest arrival on California's ever burgeoning punkfolk scene. Their unbridled live shows garnered the group immediate attention, their music, referencing the likes of Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire, and even Badly Drawn Boy, gained them automatic attention. Their debut album, The Ortolan, should now transform them from west coast heroes to American darlings.Let's begin with the title track, an exuberant instrumental ride through a classical funfare detouring into Latin lands, all set to a zippy dance beat. Keyboardist Mike Hughes handles that number with such insouciance, that his bandmates obviously decided to put his talents to the test on "I Hope I Become a Ghost".There he begins in midtempo, slowly picking up speed until the rest of the band slam in at fulltilt, and push him to the very limit of human endurance. "Ghost" is arranged 60s style, leaning towards RB, "Heart" similarly so, at one point evoking The Yardbirds, before tra...nsforming into an anthemic punk tinged rocker. "Emily Paints" has all the glamor of the '80s New Wavers, and a tattoo of a rhythm to boot. "Eucalyptus"'s rhythm is more of a boots and braces stomper, with a rousing melody shared out between guitarist William Etling and an xylophone. The folkier and more downbeat "Wolves in a Garden" takes a similar stance, with the melody lilting from acoustic and electric guitar, xylophone and organ. There again, Deadly's arrangements never cease to amaze, "The Ship That Shot It's Selef" aptly echoes a sea shanty, elsewhere the band dip into Americana, country and CW. Dipping and soaring overhead is singing bassist Chris Richard. Sublime throughout, his sweet, emotive falsetto is powerful enough to belt out the rockers or hit the heights of whimsy as required, his gorgeous tones raising shivers as he floats overhead on "Ghost.""Now you know my tricks," he insists on "Animals Wearing Clothes", "I oversimplify a bit, and break things down until they're small and friendly." If only In fact, his themes are often obtuse, his lyrics quite cryptic, and ofttimes surreal, but never less than fascinating. All told a stunning debut, leaving one to wonder where the band can possibly go from here. - JoAnn Greene, All Music Guide Read more Less
