To
look upon The Darcys is to invite wonder. At first glance, they are a
discordant blur – all ties and skinny jeans and messy hair and worn-out
copies of Heidegger. With a band name that derives from Mr. Darcy,
Elizabeth Bennet’s romantic interest in Pride and Prejudice, and D’Arcy McGee,
the first Canadian political figure to be assassinated, the four
twenty-something Toronto natives quickly begin to defy classification.
But
then, the Darcys have always been unorthodox. In June 2007 they recorded their
first full-length album, Endless Water – not in a studio or house, but in the
lofty heights of the Waterloo Regional Children’s Museum. The resulting
disc quickly garnered attention: Exclaim! called it “a stunning collection of
songs,” while the Toronto Star – reaching to describe the band’s inventive,
luminous sound – dubbed them "Toronto's next great guitar band – equal
parts Neil Young, contemporary Brit-pop and shoegazer glaze."
In
the Spring of 2009, The Darcys released a free download on their website: a
cover of the Final Fantasy classic, “The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead.”
The track’s muscular, electric stance signaled a bold departure from Owen
Pallett’s original string-based arrangement, generating more than 2500
downloads in a one-month period and receiving airplay on CBC Radio 3 and
Toronto’s Edge 102.1FM. Capitalizing on the track’s momentum, the band
embarked on its third cross-Canada tour, turning in memorable showc …
To
look upon The Darcys is to invite wonder. At first glance, they are a
discordant blur – all ties and skinny jeans and messy hair and worn-out
copies of Heidegger. With a band name that derives from Mr. Darcy,
Elizabeth Bennet’s romantic interest in Pride and Prejudice, and D’Arcy McGee,
the first Canadian political figure to be assassinated, the four
twenty-something Toronto natives quickly begin to defy classification.
But
then, the Darcys have always been unorthodox. In June 2007 they recorded their
first full-length album, Endless Water – not in a studio or house, but in the
lofty heights of the Waterloo Regional Children’s Museum. The resulting
disc quickly garnered attention: Exclaim! called it “a stunning collection of
songs,” while the Toronto Star – reaching to describe the band’s inventive,
luminous sound – dubbed them "Toronto's next great guitar band – equal
parts Neil Young, contemporary Brit-pop and shoegazer glaze."
In
the Spring of 2009, The Darcys released a free download on their website: a
cover of the Final Fantasy classic, “The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead.”
The track’s muscular, electric stance signaled a bold departure from Owen
Pallett’s original string-based arrangement, generating more than 2500
downloads in a one-month period and receiving airplay on CBC Radio 3 and
Toronto’s Edge 102.1FM. Capitalizing on the track’s momentum, the band
embarked on its third cross-Canada tour, turning in memorable showcases at
Toronto’s NXNE festival, Calgary’s Sled Island, POP Montreal, and a sold-out
show at Vancouver’s historic Richards on Richards. Once again, Exclaim! praised
the band’s evolving musicality: "their amped-up live interpretations
recall the Constantines at their loudest and most structured, tightly hammering
on inventive riffs and then retreating into soft choruses."
The
past year has seen The Darcys perform more than 90 shows, not including their
two sets at Canadian Music Week in March 2010. The response was
immediate: The Toronto Star singled them out as one of CMW’s more impressive
acts, calling the band “harder, heavier and more assured than ever … a
dramatic, tumultuous guitar-rock outfit, gunning doggedly for the epic.” The
Darcys will build upon that success with the release of their second
full-length album, Young Believers, expected later this year. The album
was recorded in Montreal with producer and The Dears frontman, Murray
Lightburn. Young Believers includes guest appearances by members of Broken
Social Scene, Stars, and Islands.
A
7” for the album’s first single, “House Built Around Your Voice,” will be
released in May 2010. Backed by another new track, the pop-driven
“Edmonton to Purgatory,” “House” is evocative and urgent; its fuzzed-out
guitars and melodies channeling the rootlessness of modern life. A
coast-to-coast tour in support of the 7” begins in April. Those who
purchase a physical copy of the single will have the opportunity to receive a
free download of both tracks.
