Dark City Kings return to their indie roots on ‘Champions of Tomorrow’s Fun’, their debut EP, recorded back in the Citizen Vinyl studios of Asheville, NC. The EP was an invigorating sonic flex that reinforced their unique ability to pen emotionally powerful and muscular songs that seamlessly blend pop, punk, and new wave elements. The hometown band sounded energized and ready to take on the world with an EP that balanced influences and demonstrated that, even with so many touchstones from the past in their DNA, they haven’t lost their identity. The songs are a reflection of time spent working in the Appalachian Mountains honing their craft and survival skills to shape a musical tapestry for navigating darker times with a renewed appreciation for joy as defiance. These songs work in concert to push the band toward the next phase of their career: their full-length album, ‘Joy is Defiance’, due out this summer with Kevin Moloney on production and is a bold statement as a band and as people who have struggled and persevered.
Side A features the opener and title track, “Champions of Tomorrow’s Fun”. The track explodes with a sneer and a smirk, with an upbeat B52s-infused hook paired to a chugging zydeco groove. The verse slides into an instantly catchy chorus, an irresistible combination of fun and dogged persistence. It’s bright and breezy, but it’s no lightweight either. As soon as that chorus drops, it burrows under your skin and stays there like a jukebox staple. The emotion is a mix of feistiness and wide-eyed pleasure with a hint of world-weariness that makes it all the more desperate to hold onto happiness. In the moment of release this spring, the song captured a moment of unbridled passion and shared it in all its glory, exhibiting the band’s raw chemistry, their sharp hooks, and some truly devastating energy.
https://thedarkcitykings.bandcamp.com/album/champions-of-tomorrows-fun-atmosphere?from=embed
“Atmosphere” follows as Side B’s companion piece to the rollicking opener. If “Champions” is bright, shiny, and brash, “Atmosphere” trades in shadows and mood. Channeling post-punk and new wave, the song is a counterpart of longing to the joy of the previous track. It’s cool and brooding with classic influence by Joy Division and The Cure. The song conveys distance, with lyrics and sonics that do an impressive job of coloring the song and creating an emotional space between the band and the audience. It’s a crucial reprieve for the listener as they step back and take in a moment of contrast that makes this two-song pairing a dynamic pairing that dances with contrasting emotions. The brighter and more defiant ‘Champions of Tomorrow’’s Fun’ is a hit, a corker. The mysterious and contemplative “Atmosphere” is a gloomy masterpiece, setting up the upcoming full-length in perfect fashion.
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