We Landed On The Moon - These Little Wars (2008)

Genre : Indie,Rock,Pop,Alternative,Female-Vocal
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Tracklist

01. Solitaire
02. The Night Was Open
03. Vietcong
04. Washing For Weeks
05. Something New
06. Happy Accidents
07. RE: Your Letter
08. Notes On A Scandal
09. Mirror, Mirror
10. Come On Keep It Quiet
11. Golden Child

These Little Wars by We Landed on the Moon is a by-the-numbers power-pop album, plain and simple. This could be the early 90s again for all of the tricks in this bands bag.

If you have fond memories of the spinART and Slumberland scenes, you may enjoy this album quite a bit. It tends to the major-label side of the scene, though, so even though there are traces of indie rock here the full, big sound and production values have EMI written all over them. Were talking power chords, anthemic verses AND choruses, ballds, rockers - the whole shebang.

Because the band has a female singer, its only natural to think of, say, Velocity Girl or That Dog when you hear These Little Wars. Maybe even No Doubt, actually, as We Landed on the Moon would probably work really well on a huge stage with a fist-pumping crowd in front of it. (By the way, none of this is meant as criticism, but just a description of what even the band would probably tell you its gunning for.)

The compositions mix dance/rock beats with churning guitar work and keyboard atmospheres. Its topped of with some histrionics in the vocals, or at least thats how it sometimes comes across. Its clear that the singer has a really good voice and has probably had some vocal training. The singing can come off as a little forced sometimes, though, even though its on key just one of those things where the technique is perfect but the feeling isnt quite there.

Mirror, Mirror might play well on an XM radio station dedicated to modern rock, whereas Happy Accidents has a kind of Cranberries sensibility about it. The rest of the songs fall into one or the other of these general categories. Yes, the album is a little samey. Notes on a Scandal has some pretty cool vocal rhythms to it, by the way. Almost Blondie at times, apart from the La la la la la refrains.