Baumer - Were It Not For You

Eyeball Records

Baumer hail from Columbia, South Carolina but from the sounds of their new album, Were It Not For You you would never know it. Their synthed out sound has more in common with celebrated European bands like New Order and Kamera. These Europhiles have their brand of dance-rock down to a T on this album. Frontman Nate Boykin, like The Killers' Brandon Flowers, even sings with a heavy British accent for full effect. Being that they hail from the American south, this affectation probably is for the better. I don't really see a South Carolina twang working to well with this kind of stuff anyway.

Most of the songs on Were It Not For You are trimmed to down to their bare essentials. With tracks as infectious as "On Our Way" and "Don't Panic" gracing the album, keeping the song lengths shorter was a wise move. In fact, your focus never wanes and you'll find yourself singing along to the first-class hooks instantly. Unfortunately, the production by D. James Goodwin falls a bit flat. Bringing in a mixer like Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode) next time would help bring out the kind of luster this songs call out for.

Carlos Ramirez