Derby

MixVille Bar - July 24, 2005

Live Review by Adam McKibbin

L.A. was a home away from home for Portland’s Derby during the month of July, a month that found the band making numerous trips into town and playing numerous dates in a numerous venues.  Even without attending all of them, it’s safe to say that their “gig” at MixVille was the strangest:  a Sunday afternoon acoustic set, with the band playing on a couch while surrounding by a couple handfuls of friends, well-wishers, and Silver Lake strays.  For strangers, it was intimacy to the point of awkwardness, and, at the outset, the affable members of Derby seemed unsure how much of themselves to give.  Once they got rolling, though, they showed that, even when stripped down, their recently re-released (nationwide) This Is The New You packs plenty of personality.

The Derby Unplugged approach catered to the strengths of their songs:  punchy pop melodies and airy harmonies, interspersed with handclaps and lots of ahh-ahhing and ooh-oohing.  "Sunk A Few," for instance, sounded even better in a sans-electricity, sans-microphone state.  The typical Derby live show, though, is reportedly quite a different beast.  “The sunny effects of New You are completely stripped away,” reports The Stranger.  Even on disc, though, there are crunchier moments, like the electric guitar that gets uncorked for some classic rockin’ on “This Conversation.”  Vocal harmony is Derby’s trump card, but they also don’t shy from density, as on the arena-sized opening slab of “Qualities.”

However raw their live show may be when there aren't couches and 100-degree afternoons involved, This Is The New You is a power-pop album through and through, even when dressed with big riffs and towering textures.  While the high harmony parts may occasionally remind listeners of Elliott Smith, that isn't as accurate a reference point as the others most commonly mentioned:  Sloan, The Posies and The Beatles.  Derby obviously haven't earned a seat at that table yet, but fans of those bands who are in the market for a late-summer soundtrack would be well advised to check out New You.  And if they show up on a Sunday afternoon at the neighborhood bar, head on over without hesitation.