Multi-instrumentalist Derek Almstead (The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, The Glands, of Montreal) and singer Emily Growden (Faster Circuits, Marshmallow Coast) turned a lot of heads when they released Glass Narcissus, the debut album by their retro-futurist indie pop duo Giant Day, last year. Follow-up Alarm breaks out of the introspective perspective mood of the lyrics. The outside world has entered the bubble of their abode in rural Pennsylvania and they have plenty to be worried about - Think Carefully indeed.
They kept the synths way up front, embracing the limitations of vintage equipment, with sounds that used to be associated with a brighter future. Fear has taken over, and although some of the sunny-side up psychedelic musings from their debut have found their way in again, the undeniable horrors of the current clusterfuck always have the upper hand. Devil Dog might sound funky and upbeat, but it is quite a nasty beast.
