Well folks, I feel like a full-length album from I Don’t Know How But They Found Me has been a long time coming. The band itself formed nearly five years ago, with the last new material coming in the form of a Christmas EP back in 2019. They finally put out a complete work entitled Razzmatazz, that seems stylistically different than their initial EP from 2018, 1981 Extended Play. I didn’t really love that EP, so I was hesitant and then pleasantly surprised when I finally sat down and get the album a listen!
I mean, if anyone popped this one blindly they’d think it came straight out of the 80s, and that is a glorious thing. I will say though that not much of what was on this record seemed all that original. At times they reminded me of Kids of 88 or even Mini Mansions, but those two all have some roots within the 80s sound. Synth-heavy and catchy as hell. Yes, the lyrics and arrangements were all original, but almost every single track made me think of another band. Maybe because this band is made up of other bands? Probably not. It’s probably more akin to a tribute than anything else, and more than likely not to the two bands I mentioned (but seriously, go listen to them).
Regardless, I was a fan from the opening track “Leave Me Alone,” which recently got its very own quarantine-edition music video. It works though! Most of the other tracks flow seamlessly into one another, which makes for a very strong listen. My only gripe was them adding in a single from over two years ago, “Nobody Likes the Opening Band.” Don’t misunderstand, I really like that song, but where it fell in the track list made it seem like I stopped listening to Razzmatazz and then popped in an entirely new album to listen to. Another song that didn’t really quite fit for me was “Door.” If I had to, I would guess that song was recorded around the same time as the previous track, or even the EP.
Other than that, the rest of the album was a party for me! It was instantly enjoyable and required a second listen-through immediately. That almost never happens. Besides the lead track, “Kiss Goodnight” and “Sugar Pills” were some of my favorites. I’m sure this is an album I’ll find in my CD player many times to come. This success also has me keen to see them live whenever we get the opportunity again. So if you’re like me and enjoy a little bit of an 80s vibe from time to time, then definitely get this in rotation!