There was a time in the eighties when indie-pop was everywhere, from Athens, GA to New Zealand. That era passed like all others before it, and has been revived in the twenty-first century like seemingly all other past musical eras, but updated rather than just copied. Toronto’s Ducks Ltd. bring that great indie-pop sound on their sophomore release, Harm’s Way.
Despite the title, Harm’s Way is a bright way, and jangling guitars and shiny hope, starting with opener “Hollowed Out”. Yet it doesn’t come off as saccharine, aided by the speedy way of songs such as “The Main Thing” and “Train Full of Gasoline”. Meanwhile, the title track is indeed a giant expression of joy.
Like the power-pop of the seventies before it, indie-pop never really got its true moment in the sun back when. Thankfully, even in the dark times, its light shines through, such as with Ducks Ltd. on Harm’s Way.
