Darwin Deez is the brainchild of frontman Darwin Smith. First emerging on the cult scene in 2010 with their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, now three years on and with a shift in line-up, Smith and co. are back with Songs For Imaginative People.
The record is self-produced by Smith; a bold move, there would have been an abundance of producers at his disposable. The album does subsequently sound a little bit messy, like an almost scrapbook effect off beats and riffs.
Darwin Deez’s overall charm would fall on deaf ears to those who aren’t overly sentimental. It’s unapologetically twee, romantic (at times) whilst being rather child like in its simplistic nature.
Smith’s back-story only adds to his allure, once a psychology student in his native New York who gave it all up to pursue a music career. He found the science of human emotion and the way it can be broken down far too clinical and depressing. A response that has been carried across both albums.
‘(800) HUMAN’ is a strong and characterised opener. Lead single ‘Free (The Editorial Me)’ is brilliantly slapdash, refusing to stick to a conventional song structure, much like the rest of the album.
Smith is however, treading a very fine line. It’s exceptionally unappealing when an artist tries to be overly ‘kooky’. Much like when somebody describes themselves as ‘quirky’, it can often appear trite and forced. Fortunately, Smith is very much a creative and imaginative person, and so (for lack of a better word) his ‘kookiness’ is backed up.
The record has a pure sentiment, unthreatening and honest. For fans of the first album, you will not be disappointed. If anything, Songs For Imaginative People is a buffed up, sunny and colourful progression from their debut.
