The Playwrights
English Self Storage
Sink & Stove
Every once in a while there’s an album with a song on it that’s so catchy it can completely redeem what seemed like middling music the first time through. English Self Storage is one of those albums and “Dislocated (London Version)” is its ace in the hole. With a melodica melody as equally catchy as its vocal line, it’s a massive leap in a traditional pop direction forsaken by much of the post-punk songwriting found elsewhere on the disc. The gnashing guitars, liquid bass and stutter-step drums are all relentlessly driving a dance floor attack, but I’m not too sure the destination’s any better than where “Dislocated” and its splash of genre-defying color take them. “Leave it For the Archeologists” plays against type in a different direction –it’s a slow, acoustic instrumental – but even that’s not utilizing the group’s strengths. Admittedly, the pieces fall more into place and the songs grow stronger with subsequent listens, but if these guys opt for smoother edges and/or more eclecticism next time around I’ll be a happier listener.
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