DEL MAR BOYS-“ Hell is a hot place” (EP)

There’s not much I can say about The Del Mar Boys other than that their music is indie rock in the classic sense: Bassy, somewhat dark and disaffected, and with hypnotic rhythms. This is especially true of the first track on their EP, “Hell Is A Hot Place,” an incredibly catchy track that, from the first notes, makes you feel like you’ve heard it before. The problem is, it’s pretty similar to another track on the EP, “Coedine.” And to “The Devil.” And to . . . You get the idea. The result is an EP that feels like an album, with a consistent mood and persistent musical ideology. Some may find it redundant, but I call it subtle. There aren’t obvious changes between the songs, but the songs are each interesting in their own way, for their own unique tweak of the band’s formula. The standout track is “Wayside,” on which the band spreads their musical (and vocal) range to hit something a little more upbeat. Overall, the EP reminds me quite a big of The Diggs, but there’s lots of other influences here. The most obvious is Pavement, the more subtle are Modest Mouse and alt-country.

Coedine