Whispering loud enough for us to hear

Hey Minneapolites,
Does the recent Twins loss leave you a little downhearted?
Has the impending sub-zero climate began its annual bid to freeze your remaining optimism?
Me too. But hey, there's always music that helps in times like these.
The fellas in Duplomacy don't get as much attention as their 2024 Records labelmates The Hopefuls and Plastic Constellations, and that makes sense. While those two bands (The Hopefuls especially) shine because of their flashiness, Duplomacy shines subtly, slowly, and, well, eventually. A song's great parts - lines here and there, a melody line - will stand out only on the second or third listen.
Duplomacy - Untitled (For Matt).
This is from their just-released record All These Long Drives, though Duplomacy has been around for a couple years now, playing shows and releasing their debut EP in 2004.
I know these guys get compared to Nada Surf a lot, and that totally fits, but I also hear shades of Rogue Wave and Pinkerton-era Weezer; bands that express emotion by holding back unless absolutely necessary. All These Long Drives really is a hell of a record, and though this song is my favorite, there are some other stunners. Check out their site for some other tracks - the title track is great, as is "Holiday."
You can buy the record from 2024 Records, which has some other great Twin Cities bands you should support.