Every now and then, there’s a band that comes along that seems perfect for that given moment. Durry – the brother-sister duo that began in the basement of a Minneapolis suburb – are making a strong case for why they’re that band.
Look no further than the latest single ‘Little Bit Lonely’, which was released alongside a video that followed the band into a Nintendo 64 console, playing a game that documented the origin story of their band. It’s rife with oddball nostalgia, and if there’s one thing our late-stage-capitalistic society loves these days, it’s nostalgia. (And with films like Barbie, and festivals like When We Were Young dominating social media and millennials’ wallets, who can blame them?)
The Durry siblings (Austin and Taryn) have the spirit of rambunctious, chant-along punk packaged with the mainstream accessibility of 2010s alternative rock like Walk the Moon. The songs are mostly uptempo, easy to bang your head to or full on dance like you’re in a colourful Apple commercial from the mid 2000s.
With all this energy Durry brings to the surface, you’d be forgiven for missing the commentary on mental health, capitalism, corporate America and the general sense of malaise that seeps through the lyrics. The fact that the two facets meld together so nicely is a testament to the duo’s masterful songwriting. Take mid-album cut, ‘Worse For Wear’, for example. ‘We’re just big kids living in an old man’s world,’ Austin sings of the world our generation is inheriting, rightfully afraid that we’re constantly being set up for failure. Elsewhere in the song, he asks pointedly, ‘What’s the point of pulling up on these boot straps when you glued them to the ground?’
In lead single ‘I’m Fine (No Really)’, the duo touch upon the toll your typical, dead end job takes on your mental health. By the end of the chorus, it’s not as if he’s trying to convince us he’s doing okay but rather himself.
But perhaps my favourite lyric arrives in album highlight ‘Mall Rats’, a song so full of youthful energy, I feel my teenage soul resurrecting itself just a little bit more on each repeat listen. ‘The world is ours, but the mall closes at nine,’ they sing cheekily. It strikes vivid imagery of being a kid in suburban America, the need to rebel top of mind, and yet needing a ride from your parents as the mall closes its doors. The smile is creeping over my face just thinking about it.
An absolute party of a record with a lot to say, Suburban Legend checks all the right boxes. Simply put, it’s one of the best debut albums I’ve heard in a long, long time.
HAIKU REVIEW:
The Durry siblings
Are your new favourite band;
They made me giddy
Suburban Legend is out 8th September via Big Pip Records and Thirty Tigers. Pre-Save/Pre-Order it HERE. Right now. Seriously, go do it.
