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Statistics
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Hometown: Omaha, NE US By now, we all know that Statistics is Denver Dalley, but who exactly is Denver Dalley? A veil of ambiguity has shrouded the singer-songwriter since the inception of his first band, Desaparecidos, where he was suddenly thrust into the spotlight, sharing duties with one of the most critically acclaimed songwriters of his day (c’mon, you know who we’re talking about). Was the title of his debut, Leave Your Name, an answering machine reference or a dig at his prior accolades? Did Statistics’ laptop masterpieces serve as artistic ambition or as a rebellion against Desa’s angst-ridden rants? Finally, is the lanky Nebraskan good at basketball? From our interactions with Dalley, chances are, we’ll never know the answer to these questions—but that’s okay. Because with Often Lie, he’s established Statistics as a band with something genuine, and amazing, to offer those of you open-minded enough to listen.Album opener, “Final Broadcast” is a welcome throwback to Static Prevails-era Jimmy Eat World, with Dalley’s vocals emoting over a bed of alternately driving and delicate electric guitars, setting the tone for the rest of the album. Alternately, with its drum loops and tasteful electronic flourishes, “By(e) Now” and “10.22” (the album’s sole instrumental track) are both logical continuations of 2004’s Leave Your Name. However, the laptop elements are less prevalent on Often Lie, largely a result of the 200-plus shows Statistics played in 2004. “I think the main reason that this album sounds so different from the last one is a lot of those [older] songs, I wrote when I was at home or sitting with a keyboard, whereas this Often Lie is more written on the road last year,” Dalley explains. “While I still love those [electronic] elements, I thought for this record anyway, it translates better for an energetic live show.” He’s right. Statistics has demolished its side-project stigma by constantly touring, sharing the stage with everyone from Minus The Bear and Engine Down to The Jealous Sound and the Velveteen, despite genre distinctions—and all without the Saddle Creek safety net so many of Dalley’s peers teeter precociously above. “I think it was important for me to branch out from Saddle Creek and to really try to do something on my own, with people I had no prior working relationship with,” Dalley explains. “Even when I was in Desa, I would bounce between Omaha and Nashville because my parents moved down there my senior year. So while everyone else would be here hanging out, I’d disappear and come back—so there’s some of that in my personality as well, just wanting to distance myself.” Ultimately, that’s as much as the transient Dalley is going to give us about himself, but like we said before, it doesn’t matter. Whether you interpret Often Lie as a love letter or a suicide note, what really matters is that lines like, “I’m dying to be living/Things seem better from the start/And I don't care if I finish this time” (from “A Foreword), make you feel something. And if you’re really listening, they will. |
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