Bridging elements of power/indie pop while harnessing a danceable sound reminiscent of the better radio friendly tracks from the 1950's through the 1970's, Georgie James gives us Places. The Washington D.C. songwriting duo consisting of John Davis, drummer of the disbanded Dischord act Q and Not U, and Laura Burhenn, a locally established solo musician, share vocal duties and instrumentation on the debut, creating a charming blend to their melody. Drawing comparisons to an up beat version of Death Cab for Cutie, the pair suffer slightly from monotony as the album progresses, but manage to connect with a few choice tracks, most noticeably “Long Week” a song dealing with the come down from a natural high. While Davis' contributions to the record are certainly notable it is Burhenn's lead vocal tracks where the band are at their best, the support Davis gives accents quite well but is not strong enough to carry a full song. Places hints at the talent that Georgie James is capable of and with the recent additions of Andrew Black of The Explosion and Michael Cotterman of The Loved Ones, it'll be interesting to see how the group progresses.
