On their impressive debut full-length, this Toronto-via-Guelph quartet often appear as the less angry, poppier younger brothers of local heroes Constantines, with spiky guitar interplay and energetic breakdowns running throughout. Often making the listener wait for the sweet payoff that occurs in every song on Hunters, The D’urbervilles employ Spoon’s trick of embracing the space within each song, opting for well-chosen riffs in between silences, the direct opposite of prog excess. The vocals are catchy and clear, breaking into addictive hooks on songs like “Dragnet” and “This is The Life.” The only real complaint is that the re-recording of “Spin The Bottle,” the highlight of their debut EP, is diminished here by frantic pacing and some other questionable production choices. That aside, any fan of smart, catchy, guitar-based indie rock will find a lot to like.
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The D’Urbervilles release We Are The Hunters on March 14 at The Tranzac
