Review
Darling New Neighbors
Every Day is Saturday Night

Independent (2006) Neil F.

Darling New Neighbors – Every Day is Saturday Night cover artwork
Darling New Neighbors – Every Day is Saturday Night — Independent, 2006

Hailing from Austin, Texas, Darling New Neighbors play indie rock with tinges of country that strays into universal pop and traces of folk. Darlings of the southern underground, Every Day is Saturday Night is their debut full-length. Filled with indie rockers, folk-ballads, and eclectic pop tones, it is tied together through stylistic shifts and lyrics of love gone wrong, which attach the album even more to its country influences.

"Overgrown" eases the listener gently into the album that develops well through "Seven," a Mission Impossible theme influenced pop song, before the pointlessness of "La La." Followed by "The Best You Can Do," akin to a more rustic Belle & Sebastian and easily the highlight of the album, the good work carries itself through the mid-section. "Jesus" plays through upbeat brass band rock and finally finds its way into "Puppies," a toned down, male fronted folk song. It is only with "Grocery," a song that falls into some inane generics and vocalist Elizabeth Jackson's voice going awry, that the tail-end of Every Day is Saturday Night comes up lacking.

Sounding like early Belle & Sebastian with all the rough edges left on, Every Day is Saturday Night keeps itself together well. Staying cohesive enough to remain a complete work, it varies from downbeat genius and classic modern pop to songs that sound just too much like Belle & Sebastian, Sons and Daughters, and all those other bands that fuse together rock, folk, and country.

Leaving memorable songs and excellent groundwork, Darling New Neighbors have a tendency to drift into blind alleys that never really go anywhere. Not damaging enough to be the lasting impression of Every Day is Saturday Night, they are, nonetheless, a stark reminder that the twelve songs (including two recorded live) take one stop too far.

7.5 / 10Neil F. • December 27, 2006

Darling New Neighbors – Every Day is Saturday Night cover artwork
Darling New Neighbors – Every Day is Saturday Night — Independent, 2006

Recently-posted album reviews

CF98

Stupid Punk
Double Helix, SBAM (2025)

If I said that Poland is known for pierogis and punk rock, would you believe me? Punk has a deep history in Poland ranging all the way back to the late 70s with the band Tilt and from the looks of it, it’s not stopping any time soon. CF98 has been a part of the scene for over two decades … Read more

Cluster Lizard

Herts
Prostir (2025)

Dmytro Fedorenko and Kateryna Zavoloka are two legendary artists who have defined much of contemporary experimental electronic music through both their various projects and through the now-defunct Kvitnu record label. One of their newer collaborations is Cluster Lizard, a project that has undergone an interesting evolution. Starting in 2017, Fedorenko and Zavoloka opted for a deeply off-kilter approach, with Edge … Read more

Street Eaters

Opaque
Dirt Cult (2025)

Sometimes I'm surprised at how averse I am to change. Hearing that Street Eaters had expanded to a trio caused me more trepidation than I want to admit -- and, like most fear of change, it was all for naught. The band hasn't changed and they aren't spilling over with annoying guitar solos either. They just have a little more … Read more