by Wade Phillips (@wade_phi)
Get Bleak is a brief but highly enjoyable debut of tried-and-true guitar pop from Toronto-based band Ducks Unlimited. While somewhat-confusingly sharing the namesake of the American waterfowl conservation nonprofit Ducks Unlimited (which I discovered after a quick head-scratching google search), this jangle-pop quartet offers a high-level of musicianship and experience for a relatively new project. Featuring members of fellow Canadian bands Destroyer and Grounders, and having supported the likes of Weyes Blood and Rolling Blackouts CF prior to this debut, Ducks Unlimited teamed up with producer Josh Korody (Dilly Dally, Fucked Up) for the recording of Get Bleak. Out now via Madrid-based label Bobo Integral, the result is a collection of consistently care-free yet smartly-crafted songs that merit repeat listens.
While decidedly laid-back in style, the four tracks on Get Bleak have a lot to offer thanks to the performance of the band, the production from Korody, as well as the quality songwriting and vocals from frontman Tom Mcgreevy. Frequently featuring washed out melodies atop loosely strummed guitar layers and repetitive drum patterns, Get Bleak instantly had me reminiscing on an indie rock sound nearly a decade old (i.e. think Girls’ self-titled 2009 debut or The Drums’ Portamento from 2011). This sound is executed nearly flawlessly by Ducks Unlimited, and is packed with more than enough personality to feel fresh and welcoming in 2019.
Much of that personality comes from Mcgreevy’s vocal delivery and thoughtful lyrics, which work well to develop themes of longing and frustration. Cooly juxtaposed against the upbeat sound, Mcgreevy sets this tone with acutely personal anecdotes in the title-track opener (“You flew across an ocean to get bleak” / “cause it’s predictable that I miss you”). The EP’s third track “Annie Forever” provides my favorite overall moment of the bunch thanks to the playfully sung vocal lines through the second verse. There’s a charismatic sweetness which shines brightly through this section, but also permeates throughout the other songs as well.
With the entirety of Get Bleak wrapping up in just over 12 minutes, this debut is a short and very sweet release that I’ll surely be returning to while I wait to hear more from Ducks Unlimited.