EP Premiere: The Dreaded Laramie—’The Dreaded LaramiE. P.’

Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff

The Dreaded Laramie are a fuzz-pop band from Nashville that sound like Rozwell Kid crossed with Frankie Cosmos. Or, like, the pulsating might of The Thermals matched with the dynamo pop of Swearin’. Pick your favorite crunchy power-pop band and The Dreaded Laramie probably have something in common. But the glaring difference is that The Dreaded Larami.E. P. (gotta love a good pun title) is this band’s first ever project, and it genuinely rivals the royalty of the genre. Part of that’s due to the crisp and roomy production work from Rozwell Kid guitarist Adam Meisterhans, who’s hand is heard most obviously in the streaky guitar leads of opener “Daffodils & Love.” That’s an egregiously brilliant power-pop song that sees vocalist/guitarist MC Cunningham cooing a Lucy Dacus-tier vocal melody over a lead lick that’d make a young Rivers Cuomo hang up his ax out of shame.

It’s an astoundingly great song but the band effortlessly avoid seesawing the entire tracklist with its forefront placement. The rest of this project is stuffed with memorable riffs, really acutely and cleverly accentuated basslines, and a pop vet’s sense for melody and pacing. “The Matrix” features pillowy “oh-oh-oh” harmonies over its mellow hook, yet still finds time for a papershredding solo to carry it to bed. “Goggles” rushes into focus with an earwormy Dude York-esque riff and a chorus that’s reminiscent of Cocksure-era Laura Stevenson. “Wallace Everette Pratt” sinks into a foot-tapping groove that gradually increases to a full-leg stomper, then the guitars break their hand-hold with the vocal melody to spiral around Cunningham’s full-breath intonations. There’s not a semblance of emo on this thing, but the final song “Pocket Dial” does have somewhat of an Oso Oso “the walk” sheen to its instrumental delivery—but through the lens of Allison Crutchfield.

Again, if you like any of the aforementioned comparisons and/or other bands in that general territory of 2010’s via the 90’s pop-rock music, then you will find something you like on The Dreaded LaramiE. P. If not, then we’ll refund you your click. Or tell you that you’re lame cause these songs are 70-degrees-and-sunny wonderful.

Stream ’em all here:



The Dreaded LaramiE. P. is out Friday 8/2 via Bandcamp.


Eli Enis | @eli_enis


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