Denver Dalley is all over the place. After Desaparecidos went on hiatus, Dalley started to flesh out his own songs in his spare time. He released a self-titled EP in June 2003, and then there was talk of a Desaparecidos reunion. An album and a slot in the 2004 Plea for Peace tour were in the works but schedules clashed, and plans were canceled. Dalley grasped the opportunity to finish his full length, Leave Your Name, and to tour with Rilo Kiley, Engine Down, and Now It's Overhead. In between the tours, he squeezed into the 2004 South by Southwest Festival.
The album reflects the creator, in that it is all over the place as well; sometimes it rocks like Desaparecidos, sometimes it is synth-mania, and sometimes it is just melodic warmth. Critics will click their pens and condemn the inconsistency in songs, but Denver Dalley does have a consistent focus on the instrumental aspects in the songs. His hushed vocals, intricate melodies, and pure instrumental songs accentuate his focus.
Dalley seems to predict the onslaught of criticism with the lyrics, "the critics take their pens/comparison made in names/dropped in bold face/to sound like his best friends" in "Sing a Song". Dalley layers the song's intensity with instruments. The synthesizers lay the groundwork in the beginning, enter the guitar, then vocals, then bass, then drums, and then amp all of those to make a powerful and catchy chorus. The album title is not based on Dalley's personal dating service, but on the emptiness of hearing an answering machine instead of a human voice. Knowing that, one hopes that he would not use any hackneyed phone recordings in one of his songs. The title song is an interlude that includes the irritating phone message when a phone call cannot go through due to an inexplicable reason. The interlude IS effective in annoying the listener, just as Dalley gets frustrated with phone recordings.
The Cure-inspired "The Grass is Always Greener," "Mr. Nathan," and "2 AM" all display Dalley's sensitive and melancholy side, while presenting his elaborate and euphonic songwriting. Being a musician in Omaha means having some Nebraskan friends on the album; Desaparecidos pal, Ian McElroy, plays the keys on the instrumental, "Mr. Nathan," and in "2 AM" Tim Kasher of Cursive and The Good Life lends his songwriting talents to co-write the lush song with Dalley. The instrumental "Chairman of the Bored," (clever title) "Circular Memories," and the seemingly instrumental "Accomplishments" (the vocals are drowned out by synths and guitars) may bore those who are interested in hearing some vocals and flashy riffs, but it may enthrall others with their delicate beauty. "Hours Seemed like Days" and "Reminisce" would fair well with those concerned with flashiness and clear vocals, because of the loud electric guitars and overall catchiness of the songs.
Dalley is doing pretty well as a side project of a band that is often called "Conor Oberst's side project." I am eager to hear Dalley's definitive sound in the future, but I am still more excited to see a Desaparecidos reunion.
