“Vote for your favourite DD/MM/YYYY boy!” the band screamed at their
Toronto record release. It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek, but you’re never
quite sure. Bouncing from multiple drum sets and tossing instruments
across the stage at each other to switch off, DD/MM/YYYY always ensure
an active live show, and Black Square captures that
frenetic energy well. Thirty-five minutes of electronic, synthetic
noise start off with a good blast of sound. The album keeps buzzing
throughout, down to the last few tracks, which are some of the best
here. The 12 tracks run the gamut of experimental, from slower art rock
lullabies to danceable noise.
This article appears in May 14-20, 2009.