So Many Dynamos

St. Louis' very own palindrome-happy So Many Dynamos (see their myspace page here) got a great review from the mighty windy-city tastemakers at Pitchfork earlier this week for their upcoming album, Flashlights.

I've been a fan of this band since their debut EP, Are We Not Drawn Onward To New Era?. It was evident then that SMD followed the Dismemberment Plan step by step, but they did it so well and with such conviction, as evidenced on such songs as "Airtight" and "This Can Be Useful In Rocketry," that it was OK. In a town of Uncle Tupelo knock-offs and Nuggets-worshippers, this was a nice change of pace.

With the release of 2005's When I Explode, the band expanded their sound a little, but the Dismemberment plan/Q and Not U/Les Savy Fav comparisons were still too obvious to ignore. There was something about that album that held it back from holding my attention as well as the EP had - was it the dry production values, the excessive use of noise for noise's sake, or the fact that the band seemed extremely self-conscious of its position in its chosen genre? I don't know.

...But I do know that their new CD, Flashlights, sounds just great. Their sound has opened up considerably and the production is much warmer. The band is monster touring machine -- something only a few St. Louis-based bands can boast of -- so they are likely to come through your town in the coming months. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they have any St. Louis shows lined up anytime soon, so you'll just have to do with these mp3's:

From Flashlights:
So Many Dynamos - Search Party
So Many Dynamos - In Every Direction
So Many Dynamos - In Our Sleep

From When I Explode:
So Many Dynamos - Heat/Humidity

From Are We Not Drawn Onward To New Era?:
So Many Dynamos - Airtight
So Many Dynamos - This Can Be seful In Rocketry

Click here Buy Flashlights at Vintage Vinyl