32. Album Review of Strawflower Lane by The Duskwhales

Originally Published on August 20th, 2025

About the Artist

These last two months have really been special. The diversity of musicianship has been surprising. I thought I was going to be impressed and that I would find talented musicians. I just did not anticipate to find as many genuinely talented artists in such little time. One of these genuinely talented artists are The Duskwhales. I can also say I did not expect to hear this sound. This band could have been a sensation in the 60’s and 70’s. Yet, it doesn’t appear that even one of the members were born even twenty years after that; maybe longer. 

The Duskwhales represent the DC area, originating from Manassas, Virginia. They classify themselves as an Indie Rock band, but their genre would be closer to that of a British Invasion rock band. More recent similarities could be The Flaming Lips, De Novo Dahl, or Of Montreal, though the similarities to these groups are vague at best. They are more closely related to bands like Electric Light Orchestra, The Beatles, and The Mamas and Papas. The Duskwhales formed in 2010 and have shared the stage with national acts such as Car Seat Headrest, Little Green Cars, and Diane Coffee.

The instrumentation and vocal harmonization is so special and truly references an older sound. It reminds me of my mother listening to her records when I was a child. My mother was a huge fan of The Beatles. This nostalgic representation is the closest thing I’ve heard to that sound since bands were producing music from that time.

About the Album

Strawflower Lane is a twelve song LP with a runtime of around forty-six minutes. It was produced by The Duskwhales and it released on Friday, August 16th, 2024. It featured three singles; Mountains Separate Us released May 31st, Strawflower Lane released June 21st, and St. Anthony released July 19th.

About the Music

Musically, the work has a full band presentation. It features acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar, and drums. Additionally, there are synthetic keyboards that fill sound space and provide unique ornamentations to the music. 

Vocally, the band features almost continuous harmonization, very similar to The Beatles, as previously discussed. The primary vocal part mostly performs in the range of a tenor with harmonies performing both above and below the melody. 

The tempo of most of the songs are upbeat, but with a groovy feel (no pun intended). There are some songs, like Strawflower Lane, that feature a more ballad-like tempo.

The songs that stood out to me, both musically and lyrically, were Please & Thank You and Cryptographic Love. Please & Thank You is more ballad and has this eerie but sweet intro that fades into the verse. The arpeggiated guitar part has a tremolo effect that, when played at higher pitches, sounds like spring water. They also use the effect on what sounds like a piano or keyboard. This feature puts off a very organic, natural vibe. 

Cryptographic Love is more upbeat, though it starts rather subdued. This transitions into a bridge that uses a strong vocal presence to build into a funk/disco driven chorus. This chorus is one of the best sequences of music I’ve heard in the two months I’ve been listening to/reviewing music. Seriously, The Duskwhales killed this chorus.

About the Lyrics

Lyrically, Please & Thank You tells a cryptic story in an abstract description of seasonal change. “Spring is coming, the heart attack’s over. There’s nothing left to run from. Bless your soul, it’s the only one left. There’s so much to give thanks for.” This almost interprets into coming out of a struggle or hardship. Could be a difficult relationship, could be a depressive state. Could be an addiction. This transitions into a chorus where the author intricately weaves in the lyrics “I want to thank you my friend. Please and thank you.” This doesn’t seem to be back handed. The author sounds genuinely grateful for this person who helped them.

The second verse delves more into the aftermath: “Sun shines through me the hurricane’s over. There’s nothing left to run from. Rest your face in these fountain of flowers. There’s so much to give thanks for.” This sounds like the past is in the back of the mind of the author but they have embraced the idea of closure and moving on from this harmful past. 

This is an incredibly strong song, lyrically. The analogy used is truly poetic. If you stop the music and simply read it to yourself, it possesses a beautiful timbre of its own.

Final Thoughts

The Duskwhales came together as a band in 2010, which means they have been perfecting their craft for 14 years. You can really tell. Musically, this band is incredibly polished. This is going to start out to sound like a criticism but I will try to make my point of how it’s not. Generally, one would say that there wouldn’t be a market in mainstream popular music for a band that has a sound that is so enriched in 60’s and 70’s sounding music. I think the Duskwhales have shown how to theoretically do it. Their music is so unique in today’s standard of popular music. We live in a culture that gravitates towards digital performance. But when the market starts to feel over saturated with the digital norm, crowds lean hard back into musicality and they latch onto originality. Like Lake Steet Dive or Mother Mother. Or artists like Ren, who has figured out how to incorporate rap and a classical guitar, and has done so prodigiously.

I think the Duskwhales have obvious staying power. Musically, they’re immersive. They’re talented. Best of all, they have a solid foundation in a trio who have enjoyed making music together for well over a decade. All ingredients for a recipe for success.