What We Have Been Waiting For

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to welcome the return of rock. And by rock, I don’t mean the pseudo-punk bands that sound more like the Backstreet Boys than The Clash (think Good Charlotte) or the pretentious rock coming out of New York (think The Strokes). I’m talking about the old time rock and roll Bob Seger talked about. This rock can be found in the form of Daphne Loves Derby. O.K., the name is cheesy in a Jonnie Loves Chachi kind of way, but it’s not anywise than Hoobastank or Limp Bizquit, and the music is definably better than those bands. On the rock spectrum, Daphne Loves Derby falls somewhere between Better Than Ezra and Jimmy Eat World.

The music stays upbeat throughout On the Strength of All Convinced, slowing down for Birthday Gallery, a song about a guy trying to accept everything a girl tells him, “Believe me, I believe everything you say. Even if you claimed you heard a ghost sing songs.” They also slow it down for the acoustic Pollen and Salt and the mellow Debussie. With the song Kirby, Daphne Loves Derby channels their northwest roots with a grunge influenced vibe (they grew up not far from Seattle). On the downside, it’s hard to distinguish some song from other and with only ten songs; the album can get repetitive real quickly.

Lyrically is where the band shines, topics range admiration of a girl (You, Are the strength inside my veins. Oh, I want to feel the strength you know. – Sundays), pondering the end of a relationship (Don't ask me to think good intentions will change everything. This could be the last day that I hold my breath and wait for you. – Hammers and Hearts), and regret (Please let me take your pain away for one day – Middle Middle). Hopefully this album is only a sign of what’s to come. If they can branch out musically in the future, they will be around fort a long time.

Song to Download – Sundays

On the Strength of All Convinced gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.