Following my post on Venetian Blinds yesterday, we'll continue in a similar vein taking taking the 350 mile road trip from The Blinds LA to The Umbrellas San Francisco.
Taking their lead from the chiming Byrds rather than the chugging Velvets, otherwise Umbrellas draw from the same well as The Blinds. Namely C-86, early Creation, bands like Razorcuts.
Male / female vocals, utterly formulaic dot to dot stuff. Still, the likes of Jeaninnes, Alvvays and Pains of Being Pure at Heart have shown there's a ready audience and always will be for this stuff. After all there's always a generation experiencing 16 to 22 for the first time. Never mind those who have long since waved those days goodbye but still yearn to relive them one more time.
Umbrellas push the boat out too far with Dance, the final track of five on their debut Maritime EP. Here they strip the flesh off the bones off Strawberry Switchblades Since Yesterday without a hint of shame. It's daylight robbery and shouldn't be encouraged or applauded. Otherwise it's promising stuff for those who venerate this Peter Pan way of being.
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