Disq – Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet

Having unleashed their debut into the void of 2020, the second effort from Disq sees them generating some welcome noise. Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet is a many-headed beast, crammed with more feel-good guitar hooks than a campus radio frequency. The Wisconsin outfit run the gamut of slacker sounds, bouncing between ’90s touchstones like Pavement and The Lemonheads while stacking up harmonies that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Poptopia! compilation. 

Songwriting and vocals are shared among the band, giving the record a kind of breathless, hyper-saturated quality: everyone has the green light to exercise their weirdest impulses. While lead single ‘Cujo Kiddies’ might be the first gratitude journal about a rabid hellhound, ‘If Only’ bows to syrupy Americana influences, with a side order of supercharged screaming to even things out. Elsewhere, ‘Tightrope’ contains enough spellbound yearning to rival Weezer or Ozma. It’s like the whole band spilled their record collections onto the floor, then fought tooth and nail to get their favourites under the needle. Despite the medley of influences competing for air, Disq have wound up with an album that is seasoned just right, bracingly fresh yet as familiar as a dog-eared reissue. Too many cooks don’t spoil the broth.