Unglued Reviews

US six-piece Defiance, Ohio have attracted a sizeable cult following over the five years since their first self-released demo, earning kudos as much for their independent ideology (booking their own shows – including last year’s Australian tour – and making all their recordings available for free from their website) as for their passionate and charming American folk-punk repertoire.

Their third album heralds a minor shift in sound, with Ryan Woods trading his upright double bass for an electric four-string. This allows a move towards more of an indie rock vibe on tracks such as Eureka!, a hipster love song. However, they haven’t become a standard rock band: BZ’s violin and Sherri Miller’s cello are if anything more prominent, particularly on the rhythmic opening track, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop. The acoustic-influenced folk-punk of the past is still evident in the gentle twang and banjo of Anxious And Worrying, and their punk leanings are captured on the agitated The Years, The Fears, The Sleep.

At their best, Defiance, Ohio’s songs sound like a bunch of friends having a good time and inviting you to join them, and in spite of the recurrent theme of fear throughout this record, that inclusive feeling still shines through. Sprightly The List highlights the way they connect with the listener through the details of their own lives, and taps into the joy they seem to find in the mundane and everyday.

While the band’s musicianship has improved, the record still has plenty of appealing rough edges. I wouldn’t rate it as highly as 2006’s The Great Depression – despite the fact that Sherri provides plenty of backups, her lead vocals are missed, and the album’s so short that it feels incomplete – but it’s still a fine, honest release from a great band. Their previous records continue to grow on me, and this will likely be the same.

Owen Heitmann