DieAlps!
Our City
Tampa, Florida-based indie rock quartet DieAlps!, led by Frank and Cornelia Calcaterra, create inspired and masterful pop music that flirts with heavy narratives including stories of home, life changes, as well as religion, war, violence, and politics.
While churning up panic-inducing subject matter amidst a sea of lush and dreamy instrumentation might seem a bit of a miscalculation, in theory, Our City’s feather-light approach is truly fascinating. Some may find it an inefficient, slacktivist approach while others will laud the record for its ability to perhaps reinvigorate wallowing idealists. But actually saying something while sounding fanciful is part of many an artistic endeavor, right?
That said, there are not-so-subtle notes of ‘90s flavors here — in particular The Shins and Velocity Girl – and it possesses the perfume of woozy baroque pop and rootsy singer/songwriter fare. All in all, the record is as breezy as it is spirited and fits snuggly amidst other exhilarating pop records that wink at the uncomfortable realities of the human experience. (New Granada)