The Districts: A Flourish and a Spoil | Album Review

Pennsylvania band The Districts are barely out of their teens. Yet the racket they make on this second album (which follows their well-received 2013 debut, Telephone, and a 2014 EP) comes across as the work of a reasonably fully fledged bunch of musicians: short, to the point and bristling with spit, wee and vinegar. Tracks such as 4th and Roebling, A few Good Grapes, Peaches, Hounds and Young Blood veer dangerously close to the sonic scrap heap of The Libertines. More often than not, though, they're are pulled back from the brink by a good knack for cohesiveness (particularly on Young Blood, almost 10 minutes of sublime constructive exhilaration). Other tunes – Suburban Smell, Sing the Song, Chlorine – display a softer but no less intriguing side; either way, this is a viscerally honest record that requires your attention. thedistrictsband.com