Upon listening to The Mission District’s “Heartbreaker”, I am instantly reminded of bands such as Metro Station, Melee, and Cobra Starship – bands that I enjoy regularly on warm and sunny days. The keyboard and upbeat tempos lend to a rather energetic and unbelievably catchy chorus that compel me to repeat the song after the first go-round.
But there is something different from the other bands here. In some points of the verses, the lead singer, David Rancourt’s voice, sounds straight out of the 80’s. Rancourt says, “We didn’t want to write a self-indulgent and arty record. We wanted to write a pop record. We wanted to have big choruses that you could sing along to…” and that is something that comes across in a big way. After a couple of plays, I already know those choruses and am singing along. Apparently these guys are very familiar with catchy.
photo credit: Gemma Conway
Other Mission District songs like, “So Over You” and “The Age of Pretending” showcase some 80’s style synthesizer and vocals highlighting dance-inspiring qualities. On “The Best of You and Me”, a whole different sound is displayed – one with more typical pop-rock beats, without the electronic feel. Their songs don’t all sound, which keeps me entertained. With lyrics like “I will break your heart tonight cause this is what we do/This time I swear I’ll get it right/ I’ll break your heart in two,” some might say that these tracks aren’t too profound, but The Mission District succeeds in what they set out to accomplish: catchy, fun, and genuinely good pop music. This will definitely be in my stereo next time I’m thinking of having a dance party.
