Los Angeles’ Division Day deliver an interesting and eclectic mix of styles and genres on their debut full-length, Beartrap Island. Much more varied than their 2004 EP, The Mean Way In, the fourteen Island tracks span from organ-like hymns to bombastic fun, from smooth sounds to pressing guitar rock, and many places in between. While different approaches have different amounts of reward, there’s more than enough on Beartrap Island to chew on.
Unfortunately, Beartrap Island begins and ends on probably its least rewarding tracks, “Beartrap Island” and “Is It True What They Say?” These two Casio hymns from singer Rohner Segnitz aren’t anything particularly special, though finisher “True” is more developed than the eponymous opener, and don’t represent what Division Day can do. Luckily, all that is forgotten with the first drum beats of the second track, “Ricky”. This driving alt-road anthem has a frenetic, impatient power that one only wish the group would do more of. Middle tracks “To the Woods” and “Tigers” explode with energy and emotion, though perhaps shouldn’t have been put right next to each other.
However, most of Beartrap is slower and sadder, yet still doesn’t lack for variety. The sad alt-country of “Hurricane” is both different and nice, while the slow keys and beats of “Dayenu” groove unlike anything else on the album. The dark New Wave of “Reversible” contains great harmony, while the penultimate “Littleblood” chills to the bone. And the sweet and expansive “Lights Out” shows that Division Day can be touching, without having to be melancholy.
On any fourteen-song release, there are going to be some lesser pieces, and Beartrap Island is no exception. However, even then, there is a wide selection, with one of them sure to resonate a little more to a specific taste, like the swishing cry of “Catch Your Death”, the echoing beats and keys of “Hand to the Sound”, the high notes of “Colorguard”, and the straightforward feelings of “Tap-Tap, Click-Click”.
For such a young band, the collection of styles on Beartrap Island could have been unfocused and all over the place, but the L.A. foursome ties it all together well. There still may be a bit too much stuffed into the record, but better too much than too little, and more importantly, the stuff is good.
