On 2020's
You Know I'm Not Going Anywhere,
the Districts changed up their style, setting aside the roots-informed jangle of 2014's
Telephone and 2017's
Popular Manipulations in favor of a glossier tone punctuated by keyboards and electronic flourishes that recalled a lost 1980s new wave album. Whatever prompted the band to take this detour, they seem quite happy with where they landed, and 2022's
Great American Painting finds
the Districts digging deeper into the new approach. It's easier to see the outlines of the songwriting on this LP than its immediate precursor, revealing that the albums are not so different from
the Districts' early work; however, the buzz and chime of the guitars, the clouds of keyboards and electronic atmospherics, and the stately hints of echo on
Rob Grote's vocals add up to a "futuristic" sound that's a few decades out of date. Between his phrasing, the production gloss, and his contrast with the cool surfaces of the instrumental tracks,
Grote sounds a bit like
Bono's American cousin here; it seems like grandstanding at first, though it works fairly well in context. In fact,
Great American Painting is overall a stronger and more confident effort than
You Know I'm Not Going Anywhere, with the musicians displaying a greater mastery of their evolving creative approach, the production adding strength to the arrangements, and the songs embracing an impassioned viewpoint even if the mood is chilly. If
Telephone was your favorite album by
the Districts, the bad news is that
Great American Painting plays like the work of a band who have stepped onto a new path and aren't going back. The good news is they're clearly getting better at this, and there are plenty of compelling places
the Districts could go next from this vantage point. ~ Mark Deming
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