The fifth full-length album by Pennsylvania indie alternative group The Districts is one that gets stuck in your head for hours on end. The techno grooves and new-wave synths find their way into every nook and cranny of your brain in the absolute best way possible. Straying slightly from the more mellow tones of previous albums like “You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere,” and even farther from their more alt-rock sounds of “Telephone,” The Districts explore a whole new playing field in an exciting and gripping way.
The album’s singles “I Want To Feel it All” and “Outlaw Love” slightly caught me off guard. I’ve been a fan of there’s for over two years now and can honestly say these singles weren’t what I was expecting, but they no less blew me away. The repetitive hooks and 80s synths grab your attention, and the rest of the album holds it. Tracks like “White Devil” and the opener “Revival Psalm” are infused with melodic guitars and groovy drums, all combined with singer Rob Grote’s silvery tone. The whole album gives the band’s sound new meaning and opens the door for them to get more experimental with their songs, simultaneously staying true to their origins – growing, and expanding from what we as an audience are used to.
The band gave less than a week between the release of their album and the start of their North American tour. Not surprising as they were one of the many bands who had to cancel their tour to promote the album “You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere” in 2020 (a show I was greatly looking forward to). This new album shows the growth and change that I think many artists have gone through in the last two years. Not performing has given them room to try out new things and reflect on where they want their sound to go and how they want to present themselves musically and thematically going forward. The band has been pretty well-established for the last 8 years and can now play around with new sounds that they feel the audience will love and have allowed themselves to write what they enjoy, all of which I feel really shines through with “Great American Painting.”
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