Good things come from Belgium. Unbelievable chocolate, nearly mind-altering beer, yet you never hear about many bands coming from that part of the world. That is, until The Go Find emerged from Antwerp. That is the home of Dieter Sermeus, who surrounds himself a talented group of backing musicians that helped create the pop album Stars On The Wall.
One thing Sermeus does very well is embracing the sounds of various great pop artists, ranging from Grandaddy To Fleetwood Mac. In fact, he even credits the drum sounds to their listening of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album quite a bit. I’d have to say that both the drums and the bass have a strong Fleetwod feel during “New Year,” which I am totally cool with. “Dictionary” has a similar groove as well, the musical arrangement staying very clean as Sermeus’ vocals just seem to float along. It almost has an Air vibe to it, but just a bit less synthy.
With “Ice Cold Ice,” the album takes a melancholic turn, leaving the danceable pop behind for a few moments in exchange for this rather beautiful downtempo track. He finds just the right balance of drum machines and real percussion to give the beat an organic feel, rolling along with droning keyboards and bits of guitar. If the Postal Service had been around in the ’80s, this is how they might have sounded.
The Go Find sounds just as comfortable with electronic beats and a full-band as he does with nothing more than an acoustic guitar. Sermeus’ folk songs, such as “Monday Morning,” fit perfectly with the other tunes found on Stars On The Wall. His warm, Jason Lytle-ish vocals work just as well on the acoustic “Downtown” as they do on the full-band material.
After listening to this record several times, it comes as no surprise that The Go Find is working on a cover of “Private Eyes” from Hall & Oates. It is also no surprise that the b-side for the single will be a cover of Pavement’s “Perfume-V.” It is that perfect balance of interesting indie rock and cool pop that makes Stars On The Wall such an enjoyable album. Definitely make a point to get your hands on this one when it comes out in April.
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