There has already been considerable acclaim for the the debut album from Detroit's Mod Lang, and every bit of it is richly deserved. Every now and then, a truly great new pop band comes on the scene and treats our lucky ears to something genuinely special. Mod Lang is one of those bands, and the attention it's getting makes me really happy. Released on the ever-dependable Just Add Water Records, Borrowed Time has been out for only ten days and has already sold out an entire vinyl pressing and amassed over 130 supporters on Bandcamp. That's an immense response, and it shows you that something truly remarkable is cooking in the American power pop/pop-rock underground.
My first reaction to this record was that it sounds like the '60s — but in a way that comes off more timeless than retro. Vocalists/guitarists Antonio Keka and Alex Belfie have crafted ten songs that combine pop-rock classicism with a legit freshness that is all too often missing from music that draws from the '60s and early '70s. This is exciting new music, not cosplay karaoke. The influence of everyone from The Beatles to The Raspberries to The Everly Brothers to (obviously) Big Star is worn on this band's sleeve. And yet you get the sense that this band is looking forward, not backward. So much of that comes down to the superb material. If you're going to write melody-driven rock songs, you ought to write melodies like these that are absolutely intoxicating and twice as memorable. The lead vocals and harmonies hit the spot, and you won't hear a band better equipped to pull off the ringing guitars and punchy bottom end that make music like this so hard to resist. But ultimately what comes through the most is that these four individuals are having fun. They're playing rock 'n' roll, and they're doing it joyfully. This is that rare band that will go over well with just about any music lover aged 9 to 90. Trends come and go, but great songs never go out of style. If you aren't a believer in pop music, Mod Lang will make you one. Hit up Just Add Water and order yourself one of those newfangled compact discs!
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