Listening to “The Height of Land,” a simple, hypnotic gem midway through Draw a Distance. Draw a Border., it would be easy to compare Winnipeg’s The Details to another band from their hometown, The Weakerthans. True, the Details blend deft guitar work with heart-aching melody, but the rest of the album proves that they have more to offer. The muted, stuttered chug of album opener “Always, Always, Always, Never” simmers with long keyboard tones before exploding into a wash of cymbal crashes and melancholy guitar. “Reunion Souvenirs” makes the most of disco beats and one-note solos, sliding cleanly into neo-post-punk. These moments of urgency don’t dominate the album, but they do play as fine counterpoints to the glitchy ballads and guitar-driven pop found elsewhere. An eye for detail is important in music, and this lovely little album proves that this four-piece easily lives up to and revels in their name.
