D.C.’s Mittenfields have been pretty under the radar since the release of their 2011 EP, The Fresh Sum, but rather than just taking it easy, it seems the five-piece have spent the time evolving their sound from simple indie rock, drawing in influences like shoegaze and noise pop. The result can be heard all throughout their solid debut full length, Optimists.
Three years in the making, the eight songs that comprise this latest effort show a band content on not simply being an also-ran. With its three-guitar line up, Optimists expansive sound harkens back to some of the great, though often overlooked alt bands from the 1990s. Moody at times, especially on a track like “Doctor! Doctor! This Heart isn’t Beating” (despite the overly-long title it isn’t actual an emo song), the band manages to avoid the woe is me sad bastard trap that has been known to snare a fair share of indie bands. The only downside to Optimists is it’s over too soon length.
Mittenfields – Optimists/8 tracks/self-released/2015