Two Harbors proves to be too dull

Two Harbors
ALBUM: “All the Places We Would Rather Be”
LABEL: Susstones Records

This much can be said for Minneapolis indie rock group Two Harbors: They’ve got one hell of a single. The first song/ single off their sophomore effort “All the Places We Would Rather Be” is called “You Pulled the Rug” and is rightfully getting lapped up by The Current . The song’s urgent pace, wash of guitar fuzz and addictive vocal hook make it a masterful little pop number. Problem is, if Two Harbors put their best foot forward with “You Pulled the Rug” — and they certainly did — then they didn’t leave much to stand on for the rest of the album.
It’s clear that with “All the Places We Would Rather Be,” Two Harbors is aiming for a wider fan base. Changing their name from Colonial Vipers Attack (relatively badass) to Two Harbors (wholly generic) was a good start. Furthermore, their new record’s album art, a placid lifeguard tower, is another nod toward commonplace alternative-rockdom. Armed with every faction of the social networking toolbox and supremely glossy promotional pictures, Two Harbors wants “All the Places” to make a local impact. And it has, as evidenced by heaps of praise from City Pages and How Was the Show?
Is some of the attention being hurled at “All the Places” warranted? Absolutely; based on the merits of “You Pulled the Rug,” and a handful of other tracks, Two Harbors demonstrates that they’re a cohesive group of capable musicians. Their Britpop and ’90s-alt influences are worn on their sleeves, and the band doesn’t do them a complete disservice.
For all Two Harbors’ minor accomplishments, though, they can’t shake two nagging — and, in turn, fatal — issues: frontman Chris Pavlich’s suspect songwriting and the overriding problem of the band being, generally, a massive bore.
For evidence of Pavlich’s struggles with the pen, look no further than the structure of the songs themselves. That is to say, there’s a serious lack of verses. When Pavlich does summon the courage to lay a verse out, the tone is often uncomfortable. So instead, he relies on the monotony of chorus repetition, and does so with a standby vocal crescendo that bleeds the songs together by record’s end.
It’s not just how Pavlich’s vocals are delivered, though. Lyrically, the man has plenty of room to grow. Observe the following gem from the aptly titled “What I Keep Inside:” “If you could see me now/you might not recognize the beauty that I keep inside my soul.” An important thing to remember about emotional depth is never to brag about having it. If you do, odds are you don’t. Things get worse when he attempts to trade earnest for clever as evidenced in the track “If I Had Eyes,” where he sings, “If I had eyes in the back of my head/I could see the knife in my back.” Suck on that cliché, nameless ex-girlfriend!
“All the Places We Would Rather Be” is not a terrible record. Considering the market for Cities 97 and a litany of other Coldplay -lite acts, there will be downloaders/purchasers of this LP. Still, if a band lacks any sort of musical innovation or novel ideas, it has to fall back on stellar songwriting — something Two Harbors is sorely lacking.

2.5 of 5 stars