{"id":1100720,"date":"2017-11-30T08:44:08","date_gmt":"2017-11-30T13:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/?p=1100720"},"modified":"2017-11-30T08:44:08","modified_gmt":"2017-11-30T13:44:08","slug":"underlined-passages-tandi-my-dicafi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/2017\/11\/30\/underlined-passages-tandi-my-dicafi\/","title":{"rendered":"Underlined Passages: ‘Tandi My Dicafi’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Underlined Passages have the college rock thing down<\/em>. Literally. Check the band\u2019s website and in the tour dates section, you\u2019ll see slots for performances at places like WTMD, WRSU and WFDU. In their bio, they tout being requested for a repeat in-studio performance on Rutgers University\u2019s radio station and, according to them at least, their songs have charted in the top 20 at (at least) six different radio stations.<\/p>\n

And yet all that quantitative success in the college rock realm doesn\u2019t even scratch the surface when it comes to the group\u2019s qualitative success in the genre. 2016\u2019s \u201cThe Fantastic Quest\u201d was novel in its commitment to the kind of harmlessly pointed, emotionally driven, nice-guy, sad-sap rock that turned R.E.M. from university heartthrobs into arena gods. It established the very real fact that band braintrust Michael Nestor knows what he likes and likes what he knows. Droning guitars. Rock-solid backbeats. A voice as inviting as it is harmonious.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Nestor\u2019s signature and it\u2019s all over his band\u2019s latest set, \u201cTandi My Dicafi.\u201d A natural step forward for the Maryland duo, it takes the \u201cQuest\u201d formula and expands it with maturity and vision, slowing things down more than its predecessor and understanding the value in variety. The lyrics still take aim at your heart and Nestor\u2019s voice still sounds like a bed of warm feathers, but this is a quicker listen than the band\u2019s previous effort, making for a pleasant, concise experience that deserves as many accolades as anything Underlined Passages has ever done.<\/p>\n

Some of the most memorable moments come in the form of the one-two-punch that is \u201cThinking On A Sunday\u201d and \u201cRuthenia.\u201d The former is as uptempo as these guys get here, Jamaal Turner\u2019s drums driving forward a dance-tastic groove that evokes visions of women in puffy hair shoulder-dancing in oversized long-sleeved, cut-off shirts. Plus, at a crisp 2:34, there\u2019s no reason it wouldn\u2019t fit brilliantly on any playlist curated at any American college in 1987.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, \u201cRuthenia\u201d announces itself with a guitar lick most likely found on the cutting-room floor of Gin Blossoms\u2019 \u201cNew Miserable Experience.\u201d As accessible and infectious as the verses are, the song\u2019s shining moment comes each time the chorus takes hold. Complete with lush backing vocal harmonies and a beat that cuts in half, it\u2019s the sonic equivalent of clouds breaking after days of rain for an afternoon of sunshine. It\u2019s the most epic moment of the record.<\/p>\n

And that says something for a band that works just as well never attempting to scale grand heights. Case in point: \u201cYour Bedroom.\u201d Launching with an effects-laden groove from Turner, the single gives the band a new layer as it offers up a blend of balladry they\u2019ve never revealed previously. Subdued and pretty, the prevalent synths give the production a level of warmth and levity these guys had yet to utilize. The result is deliciously moody, a formula you\u2019d love to hear them explore more extensively somewhere down the line.<\/p>\n

Instead, however, we receive a lot of what has garnered them success in the past. That\u2019s not a bad thing, of course; it\u2019s just the tinniest bit frustrating to see something new around the bend and feel as though it might have been a mirage. Take opener \u201cFeelings,\u201d which, with an added touch of synth, epitomizes the droning, straight-forward rock that this band uses as a base for its sound. \u201cSilverlake\u201d is similar, minus the prevalent electronics, and plus a Cure-esque guitar lead that adds an impressive atmosphere to the recording.<\/p>\n

All of this says nothing of the set\u2019s best song, \u201cBottlerocket.\u201d Slowed down and moody, the star here is Turner\u2019s interesting drum parts, from the inventive rim-shot-laden verses to the hazy ride cymbal that paints the chorus. Completing the production is the repetition of Nestor\u2019s longing ending hook, \u201cAnd I know you\u2019re waiting for me now.\u201d It\u2019s the perfect period on a sentence colored with blue and gray strokes, a fantastic combination of rejection and hope.<\/p>\n

Which is, of course, not unlike one\u2019s college years \u2014 the thrill of independence, maturity and life\u2019s next steps mirrored by the agony of crushing defeats like romantic heartbreak, bad grades, or the responsibility of paying an Internet bill. It all sums up Underlined Passages perfectly and it comes to life on \u201cTandi My Dicafi.\u201d Sad, but promising. Burned, but optimistic. Eager, but cautious.<\/p>\n

\u201cI notice you are just like me,\u201d Nestor proclaims on \u201cSilverlake.\u201d \u201cWe want to be seen, we want to be seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Consider the eyes on you, sir. Now, what are you going to do, knowing everybody\u2019s watching?<\/p>\n

*** 3 STARS OUT OF 4 ***<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Underlined Passages have the college rock thing down. Literally. Check the band\u2019s website and in the tour dates section, you\u2019ll see slots for performances at places like WTMD, WRSU and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1100721,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1100720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1100720","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1100720"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1100720\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1100721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1100720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1100720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1100720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}