Hitting our radar through their debut album, Collected Pieces, Aluminum Boys are an American indie pop act for fans of Death Cab for Cutie.

By Graeme Smith

Their new album starts boldly with the weighty refrains of Common Pleas. We are at once introduced to their band’s bittersweet sound that combines vibrant instrumentals with some melancholic, storytelling lyrics. Just as you get a measure of it, you’re treated to a cinematic close.

Based on the West Coast, there’s something distinctly American about them in that kind of swaggering, The Killers way. It’s a sound that takes the best of ’70s British rock and roll and ’90s Britpop and gives it a glossy sheen. Tracks like A Great Recession and Pocahontas, IL add some rawness to the mix. Stories and October Rose give us some classic rock song-writing. Lowlands ands a country twang. Sleepless closes the album in moody style.

Aluminum Boys have such an infectious sound but its certainly their ability to weave a tale in their music that makes them stand out. Collected Pieces is a stunning debut and an album of the year contender for me. I foresee a bright future for the boys.

Collected Pieces is out now and you can give it a listen below.