Good Night, Witness Light

Chalk it up to their intense touring schedule, or to the guiding hand of veteran producer Matt Squire, or to the fact that the band holed up with some Eagles records after their first tour came to a close — whatever the reason, Daphne Loves Derby has come up with a batch of songs that practically shout "staying power" on Goodnight, Witness Light. Quite a feat seeing how this is their sophomore release, not to mention the fact that the bandmembers were barely out of their teens by the time this album hit stores. Granted, they still look to groups like Death Cab for Cutie and Jimmy Eat World for guidance in putting together their bright-eyed, innocent, somewhat angsty rock. But if they sound like Death Cab for Cutie, then gosh darn it they do it well. Daphne Loves Derby has clearly lost patience with the soggy, diffuse, meandering material that weighed down their first album, On the Strength of All Convinced, opting instead for dreamy vocal harmonies, purposeful guitar riffs, and pop hooks that practically smack of the California coast. Peppy, poppy tracks like "No One Is Convinced" and "Stranger You and I" soar with shard-like guitars and addictive, bittersweet vocals, and they're predictably solid. But the real surprise on Goodnight, Witness Light is how well the slow material stands up to the fast stuff. "How's It Going to End" and "Cue the Sun!" somehow manage to be sweet without succumbing to gooiness, soul-searching without giving way to crass sentimentality. And that's an accomplishment for any musician, let alone a bunch of youngsters like Daphne Loves Derby.