For an East Coast band, Ducktails sound pretty sun-drenched and Californian to me. Matt Mondanile is the man behind the nostalgic moniker and he seems to be a part of a new wave of artists digging a peculiar blend of early 90's culture, tropical influenced music, psychedelic guitars, and simplistic 4-track style recording techniques. There appears to be a healthy appreciation for kitsch in Mondanile's song craft and instrumentation, but he somehow is able to remain completely genuine and heartfelt- almost childlike at times. Most of these songs are little instrumental pop gems with sweet hooks that stick in your mind and minimal drum beats that feel oddly danceable. When vocals are present they are obscured in the mix and don't seem to be the main focus. Some of what's going on here is reminiscent of Ariel Pink- willfully lo-fi and confusing at times but always remaining in a pop-centric frame of mind. At times I'm also reminded of the mood of more recent Black Dice recording, only without the abstraction. It's hard to describe, but there's a really enjoyable warm mood about all of this, and it's not quite like anything I've heard before. It's a fun listen and a nice diversion from the dronier side of things. This is scheduled to be released by Tape Tecktoniks soon, but I've got the self released version for now which is the same as far as I know. 9/10 --
Charles Franklin (24 September, 2008)
