The Chrysler
The Benelux years
Flora & Fauna
The Chrysler are a difficult band to describe; slow, layered pop songs that evoke decades past, with this feeling augmented in the warm, lo-fi production of their records. The band's strength lays in its members' consistently powerful craftsmanship, not so much in clever hooks, memorable choruses, or radio single potential. A few people who I've shared this band with have felt nostalgic for "The Moon and the Antarctic"-era Modest Mouse, though this comparison has its pitfalls and flaws.
The tone of "The Benelux years" is set early on by "I keep my eyes on you sparrow", followed quickly by the complicated and affectionate "Seven wonders" – both songs setting the tone for the warmth that permeates the rest of the record, even in the slower, more reflective pieces found as the record progresses. The final sections of this effort conclude with all the strength and skill that its openers employed to bring it to our attentions, and the midway pieces developed to focus it in our conscious moments. Preceded by the Dire Straits-esque "250 hours in 238 days", the closing tracks are melancholy, though deceptively vibrant, and a fitting conclusion to the record as a whole. While my stereo will undoubtedly fall prey to the bright songs that the coming summer will inspire, there are moments that are enjoyed better with slower tempos and in lower keys, and in those moments I shall be found listening to this wonderful album.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
