Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Darts Club

A Picture of Health

Label: self-release Release Date: 10/05/2004

6015
holliy by holliy May 14th, 2004

Comprising veterans of several now-defunct bands from their local Cambridge scene, Darts Club don’t give much away in their self-description - “indie cowpunk”? Qué? From the evidence provided, it would appear that indie cowpunk is indie in the sense of The Wedding Present, with enough beat in it to save it from falling flat, and a strong hint of folksy roots. The whole thing is topped off by incongruously thick vocals which don’t sound like they should even be twinned with such delicate, indie sensibilities, let alone complement the sound as well as they do here.

In fact, A Picture of Health is full of elements which you wouldn’t necessary associate with this style of music, making it pleasingly difficult to pigeonhole. There’s the organ, for instance - a pleasingly melodic counterpoint swooping along under the twanging and somewhat odd guitars; or the way the vocals suddenly veer off into unexpected extremes; or the beat’s tendency to separate from the time signature for a moment or so. This album also features what may be the chirpiest-ever song about being eaten by worms ("Stick me under a tree/It’s time to give something back"). The whole record sounds very rooted in the past, though you couldn’t pin it to one era; there’s just a general sense of tradition and influences to it. It’s quite a distant sounding record, not so much a CD you immerse yourself in as one which has you standing outside the music and appreciating it. Which is a slight pity to my mind, as I do like an album which you can get caught up in, but then there is a lot to this record which merits an objective appreciation.

If you’re an indie enthusiast with a taste for the slightly skewed (or, I suppose, if you’re not but you’re intrigued anyway), you can find out more from info@dartsclub.co.uk

Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Living Things

Black Skies In Broad Daylight

Mobback
6011
8487

Hell Is For Heroes

Transmit Disrupt

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND