The Boston Music Scene is looking especially bright especially if the stuff we’re hearing barely 2 weeks into a new year is any indication of what’s on the horizon. The “stuff” in question today comes from Boston Alternative Rawk maestros Timothy O’Keefe (Vocals/Guitars) and Michael Taggart (Guitars/Bass), who together make up Damndest, and their debut LP What Did We Expect?
If you hadn’t heard Damndest at all before now then we think What Did We Expect? is a REALLY good jumping on point/first taste. Hell, we’ve been following the band for only a short time (a year and a half, give or take) and what we’re hearing is impressing the high holy hell out of us from when we first dove in with single “My Heaven” in 2024.
“Intro” is the kind of epic opener that’s not really done anymore as the mostly piano-laden track twinkles and shines in a way that’s both ominous and opulent before nicely segueing into”Noise Means Nothing” which is filled with stirring guitars, steady backbeats from Damndest regular Frankie Hardy on drums and O’Keefe’s voice that, for us, echoes Ed Kowalyczk of Live at times (Think those subdued bits in “Overcome” or “Lightning Crashes” and not that nasally croon in “I Alone”).
“Games” is a majestic Alternative banger with Alana Sacks accompanying O’Keefe on vocal harmonies during an especially effervescent chorus before flowing into the acoustic instrumental reset of “Realism” that cleanses the sonic palette to make way for some slowed down vibes on “Home (FB)” that’s filled with wailing guitars interspersed with acoustic strumming as the song shimmers and sways. “Capsaicin Sea” gets all the bits and bobs movin’ and groovin’ once again with an intricate, multi-faceted Alternative ditty and an alluring atmosphere and haunting vocal lines from O’Keefe followed by “Escapism” which goes off on another instrumental adventure with twinkling tones and an out of this world presence.
“Force Of Habit” is a glowing Rawk anthem, capturing what Damndest do really, REALLY well in a tight three and a half minute package as “Every Time, Every Place” continues that trend and goes OFF with the duo of Taggart and O’Keefe highlighting how their inspired pairing continues to yield modern Alternative at its’ absolute best. Rounding out WDWE? is “Many Yous” that’s the perfect album comedown and could easily be an R.E.M. b-side (Think Automatic For The People era) if it didn’t already stand out as an instant Damndest classic, that is.
What Did We Expect? is out TODAY (January 15th) on Carolina Reaper Records and you can secure your copy to stream and/or download by heading here or here. For more from Damndest, hit the interwebs and the linktree here for all the pertinent socials and more!