But don't hate Dakota Suite because they're pensive. Hear them out. Although you probably didn't know it, Dakota Suite has released a lot of music in their native land. So much music, in fact, that they felt it necessary to release this compilation of their EPs as their stateside debut, an introduction for American music fans. The record plays by different rules than a standard LP, though.
Compilations can do that kind of thing.
And as per the rule of demos, the track emphasizes both the strengths and the weaknesses of the band to billboard-like proportions, giving the listener a pretty good idea what to expect for the next fourteen songs. Luckily, there are more strengths than weaknesses on the track, and what listeners can expect are intelligent, well-mannered songs about love and its destruction. Beautiful pop melodies, skillful songwriting using varied instrumentation, and genuine emotion that avoids clich d fluff make the record a delightful listen. On the depression rock spectrum, Dakota Suite falls closer to more cerebral mopesters like the Cure than, say, Johnny Cash. These boys fuse that visceral, down-home vibe with their subdued, British style, with some degree of success, but the album conveys more of a sadness of the head than the heart, and that's where the problems start.