Never Learned to Swim

Sure, okay, fine.  I’m a sucker.  And I suspect that this review will severely weaken my reader’s faith in whatever paltry shreds of masculinity I may once have boasted (after all, this song was in 500 Days of Summer).  But whatever.  “Sweet Disposition” is a gorgeous, soaring, ethereal, explosive love song.  The introduction, with its plucky, echo-ey electric strat, is straight out of the 80s, and juxtapose beautifully with Dougy Mandagi’s delicate, rich falsetto.  The lyrics are unabashedly love-laced, as the song’s structure undulates seamlessly from delicate nadirs to symphonic, half-sung / half-spoken choruses.  Mandagi’s versatile tenor matches the dynamic variety of the song itself punch for punch, giving the whole thing a very coherent, professional air.  Structurally and melodically, this is one of the most well-constructed and executed songs put out by a new group in some time.  Motifs appear and reappear in different forms and at different levels, injecting the song with healthy variety but also an overarching sense of familiarity.  I have a feeling this one will stick around into the coming years.  And I have a feeling The Temper Trap could be the next big thing – if their forthcoming debut, Conditions, delivers.

4.7 / 5.0