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Swathed as it is in the kind of ’80s arrangements of flutes and chiming guitars that have rarely been allowed beyond Carol Decker’s lushest, most velveteen fantasies, this album is an open goal to accusations of trend-following revivalism. But, like Ladyhawke’s debut, the sheer quality of songwriting justifies any retrospective leanings they may have.
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The result is the trio's startlingly impressive debut: astute, melodic evocations of plinky new wave and the Cocteau Twins' smeary dreams that achieve a timeless emotional response. [Nov 2008, p.89]
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Under The RadarDoes You Inspire You is an inspirited debut that proves Brooklyn is still the indie king. [Winter 2008]
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It's worth listening to with the hope of getting lost in some strange other world where children spew ether ghosts and spirits tap out love in Morse code.
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'Bruises,' the latest in a long line of bouncy pop ditties to ingratiate themselves into our collective pop consciousness via an iPod commercial, proves that the band is capable of being poignant without taking themselves too seriously, but much of Does You Inspire You, like the ode to pencils 'Evident Utensil,' veers a little too far into silly territory to elevate the album above a well-made and well-performed oddity.
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BlenderThroughout, atmospheric ennui tugs against upbeat synth-pop--this band is best wehn it's got a beat. [Nov 2008, p.73]
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This is good but not as great as it probably should have been.
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The tunes go down smooth, ranging from breezy exercises in Eighties-excess synth pop to country-tinged reveries.
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Often lighter-than-air, Does You Inspire You? at times threatens to float away.
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FilterThough Does You Inspire You doesn't always flow smoothly, the merit lies in its diversity--a quality that is often lacking in today's indie sound. [Spring 2009, p.103]
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The sonic pastiche of certain songs can be unwieldy and perplexing, with unsubtle shifts in musical styles or tones, an erratic rhythmic pace, and flat aural space. What sounds right though is Caroline’s mutable vocals that run the gamut from the eccentric, exclamatory delivery and word-twisting of Karen O to the soft drift of a subdued Polly Jean Harvey or Chan Marshall on the more serious numbers.