Dreamy indie rock outfit The Darcys hail from Toronto, a city which has spawned the likes of Neil Young and Broken Social Scene. It is fair to say that The Darcys are cut from the same cloth. Ambient guitars, drones and reverb feature heavily, creating a melancholic yet hopeful sound.

Aja is a track-by-track tribute album to the Steely Dan album of the same name, released in 1977. This is the second of the band’s offerings to be released as a free download on the website of independent Canadian record label Arts and Crafts. Their first, self-titled album was released in October, and bore comparisons to the likes of The Doors (and obviously, Steely Dan.)

The Darcys’ Aja stays relatively true to the original album, and does not try and meddle with the original songs in a way which may be tempting to contemporary bands attempting to refresh older material.

This is laid-back, immersive indie rock of the kind that would not be out of place coming from the speakers of your local independent coffee shop slash bookstore. However, as each individual song begins to take shape, this re-working of a much-loved seventies record becomes a highly interesting listen. Listening to the new, souped-up Aja is somewhat akin to sinking into a swimming pool in slow motion.

New version of title track ‘Aja’ is chillwave at its best, Jason Couse’s haunting vocals a perfect complement to the heavier guitars and build-up of reverberating sound, reminiscent of I Monster. Of course, Steely Dan’s original was recorded prior to the glorious musical decade that was the 1980s, and The Darcys’ version does its best to make up for this fact.

An upbeat track compared to the rest of the album, ‘Peg’ features more in the way of classic guitar riffs and indie hooks, yet this is played down by The Darcys, who still manage to put their own stamp on a classic pop song.

Arguably one of the strongest on the album, and the most similar to Steely Dan’s original, concluding track ‘Josie’ shuns the guitar effect pedals in the way of ethereal keyboards, to great effect. Harmonised backing vocals help to turn ‘Josie’ into a ghostly, stripped-back soul song that ends the album on a smooth, blue note.

Words: Lizzie Palmer

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