Switches - Lay Down the Law
Interscope (3/18/08)
Rock / Garage / Alternative
Irony-posturing is the coat of arms for an indie-rock band doing the "garage" thing these days. If you don't dress like Lou Reed's stand-in and sing your lyrics like you can think of four better things you could be doing... shit, you might as well not even bother, it would seem.
Well, apparently no one told that to Switches, because on Lay Down the Law they sound like they're having much more fun than a retro-rocker is allowed. The hipster sneer isn't missing entirely, but it acts as a little bit of salt to leaven out the trash-rock sugar rush that Switches seem to be having. They don't get the blend quite perfect here, but with the right kind of ears you can see how the band might be able to approach Strokes territory in a few years.
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