Candela Farm
DADF#AD (Boat Dreams From the Hill)

Andrew Candela used to front punky local outfit Plus Perfect, and since that band’s breakup, it seems that he’s been on something of a Bruce Springsteen kick. This isn’t a reflection on his music so much as his art direction, since the cover of Candela Farm’s DADF#AD EP shows a cruddy landscape photo framed by red block letters, making it a shameless knockoff of Bruce Springsteen’s classic 1982 LP Nebraska.

But unlike Nebraska, which is known for its hushed, dusty minimalism, DADF#AD is a hard-hitting explosion of punk-infused rock. In fact, the only notably Springsteen-esque thing about these five songs is some Clarence Clemons–style saxophone.

The Boss isn’t the only musical icon Candela pays tribute to on DADF#AD. He alludes to another one of his heroes during the triumphant crescendo of “Into the Night”, which climaxes in a burst of heavy riffs and Candela’s hollered insistence to “Come on and get happy.” This phrase is snagged right from the title of Elvis Costello’s album Get Happy!! (which, like Nebraska, dates back to ’82).

Despite these references, this EP is more than just a history lesson in classic rock. “Wounded Anenome” (the title of which should have undergone a careful spellcheck) is filled with barbed-wire guitar riffs and, surprisingly, an apparent lyrical shout-out to local perfume-makers Coeur d’Esprit. More pulse-racing licks emerge during the swaggering surge of “Sound of Decay”. These songs prove that Candela has plenty of original ideas, which reminds us that we should never judge an album by its cover.