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Mar 10, 2020 Web Exclusive By Caleb Campbell

Disq have been steadily gaining attention over the past few years as one of the most promising up and coming indie acts. Collector, the band’s debut (released on Saddle Creek), is an admirable amalgamation of Disq’s power pop influences. Listening here you can find traces of Weezer, Big Star, and The Beatles, with touches of psych rock, post-punk and folk thrown in. Disq takes all these gestating sounds and brings them together for a stellar debut.

Album opener “Daily Routine” acts as a template for the sounds and themes the album explores. The multi-part indie rock suite flows between styles, riffs, and tempos effortlessly. The band swings between tuneful pop rock and anxious post punk. Lyrically, it explores modern technological malaise, hitting on the fatigue the band’s generation experiences day in and day out. Vocalist Issac deBroux-Sloane sings, “I see the people who spend their lives in a worthwhile shine/I’m laying down spending my life on wasting time.” It is not hard to see why the band went with “Daily Routine” for the opening track. It is the best song on the album and sets it all off on a high note.

Disq’s affection for bygone eras of rock and pop music is evident. These songs feel indebted to everything from grunge to Weezer to power pop, but bring these sounds together into one album. The band attributes this to its Midwest upbringing. The band describes the experience as an “incubator effect” where Disq’s sound was able to coalesce far from competitive pressure. Living in flyover country also has let the band absorb and reinterpret all these diverse influences. This love for the band’s musical heritage is on full display with “D19,” the band’s ode to an old microphone. The song nails the sound of sunny vintage jangle pop and even takes some lyrical shoutouts to The Beatles.

The album hits other highs with the gentle acoustic folk of “Trash” and the huge riffs on “I Wanna Die.” The latter’s guitar tones sound right off of a White Stripes record and have some of the hardest hitting guitar work on the record. However, it does remain to be seen whether the band can define its own sound and identity. Other album cuts such as “Gentle” and “Konichiwa Internet” fall into the middle of the road and don’t do much to stand out among the other indie buzz bands or within the tracklist.

Disq’s Collector offers a stellar debut that delivers on most of the promise of its early singles. If the blaring guitars, chaotic edge, and sharp pop sensibilities of Disq’s advance singles brought you to the band, there will be a lot to enjoy here. While some of the album cuts falter, Collector is still an intriguing debut and makes me excited for what Disq will do next. (www.disq.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10