Search - Dambuilders :: Against the Stars

There's a gloss of electronica on the 1997 Dambuilders' album, Against the Stars, but these synth and drum loops have less to do with today's ambient-rave and bass-heavy mixes than they do with such early-'80s British synthesizer bands as A Flock of Seagulls and Icicle Works. Like their models, the Dambuilders are essentially a pop band with art-rock pretensions. The industrial-strength, microchip rhythms and portentous vocals barely disguise a love for radio-friendly pop hooks. Fortunately, the quartet has a knack for such hooks, which are kicked into motion by all the technology the band can muster. Despite their Anglophile leanings, the Dambuilders were founded in Hawaii, released their first recordings in Germany, and are now based in Boston. In fact, guitarist Eric Masunaga produced Against the Stars, the group's fifth album, in the Boston basement studio of drummer Kevin March. The disc contains several ill-considered attempts to sound like prophets of a computerized future, and two underwhelming examples of violinist Joan Wasser's lead vocals. The Dambuilders are much better off when they tackle such old-fashioned romantic themes as "Break Up with Your Boyfriend," "Burn This Bridge," and "You'll Never Know." On these numbers, lead singer Dave Derby addresses would-be and ex-lovers in a big, aching voice carried along by the band's considerable melodic momentum. --Geoffrey Himes