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Sorry About Dresden: The Mayor Will Abdicate

Route Fourteen Records

Chapel Hill, N.C.'s local indie rock outfit Sorry About Dresden has succumbed to the all-too-common fate of many talented, but small and unrecognized bands. In an attempt to capture the group's true indie spirit and devotion, the production has suffered, and the result is a 32-minute mess.

The Mayor Will Abdicate, the band's debut album, is a classic venture into the world of indie rock pop, complete with the essential garage rock feel - deeply churning bass, muffled vocals, twangy guitar and coded lyrics.

In the tradition of bands like Superchunk and the Archers of Loaf, the low-fi production seems to be something emulated by Sorry About Dresden. However, the venture into this genre of music and anti-corporate rock sentiment leaves the band sounding amazingly horrible.

Produced by indie rock guru Gerald Kee (Superchunk, Polvo), The Mayor Will Abdicate focuses on themes of apathy, depression, loss and the clincher, relationships, completing the formula with lots of yelling and "yeah yeah yeah's."

Sorry About Dresden is reminiscent of early Pavement, but falls short of capturing Stephen Malkmus and co.'s witty endeavors, especially as vocalized on 1991's Slanted and Enchanted. Sorry About Dresden is the type of band found in its best form in a live setting - performing loud, boisterous indie pop anthems, something no low-fi album production can ever truly capture.

-Barry McGuire