DWNTWN is a self-described “dreamy synth-pop trio” featuring both male and female vocalists often singing in harmony with each other. Sound like something you may have heard before? Yeah, me too. DWNTWN does very little during their five song EP to standout as groundbreaking. The give and take between vocalists Jamie Leffler and Robert Cepeda is something that has may have been intriguing in the past, but today’s world of synth-pop is riddled with acts that sound oh so similar. In fact, considering how much more enjoyable the songs are that more heavily feature Leffler rather than Cepeda, it may have been in their interest to stick with one vocalist and refine that sound.
All together, it’s not an awful record. The standout track is without a doubt “Missing You”, if only for the fact that it is the only song that takes a particularly brave artistic risk. Skillfully combining multiple instruments including a banjo that at first seems grossly out of place, but, when all is said and done, works well alongside Leffler’s vocals. Overall, DWNTWN has a sound that is at times catchy, and one that might be easy for audiences to like. The issue is that the generic, watered down nature may make it an album impossible to truly fall in love with.