Nervous Birds
Snappy Little Numbers/ Debt Offensive, 2021
8/10
The first album from Vancouver’s Night Court packs 13 tunes into about 20 minutes, and they’re full of power pop, punk, garage, emo and plenty of other sounds, and it sure sounds ‘90s indebted, which could never be a bad thing.
“Circus Of Wolves” starts the listen with a driving and upbeat version of garage-rock that’s full of charming bass lines, thumping drums and soaring vocals, and this fluid formula continues to the power-pop fueled “Yr Driving”, as well as the buzzing “Boat In Idle”.
Deeper into the listen, “Late For Dinner” is the song The Killers wish they wrote, while the initially calmer “Interlude” builds into an angular and dreamy album highlight. “The Question” is then a fuzzed out rocker that’s got some alt-rock spirit you can’t help but admire.
Arriving near the end, “Johnny Rocket” fits pretty comfortably between emo and indie-rock with both grit and melody present, and “Lost And Found” exits the listen dense, even firm, as spirited guitar work and a dynamic rhythm section make a significant impression.
It’s not hard to think of Marked Men and Jawbreaker (pre-Dear You) when listening to Night Court, and though they don’t sound much like the band The Cast Of Cheers, it sure would be fun to see them on a bill at your favorite basement, where you can drink a beer and feel the chill of fall.
Travels well with: The Animal Steel- A Surefire Way To Get Sober; Spells & Hooper- ‘Rock N Roll Swap Meet: Day 1’