As almost everyone knows, The Motor City has been hard by the economic downturn. However, out of the rubble has emerged a new music scene that would have surprised hard rockers like Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Iggy Pop and Kid Rock. Never in a million years could these musicians have suspected that their hometown would be home to one of the most innovative alterna-indie-dreampop duos. That’s the best way to describe Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Hyped by both Read Detroit Weekly and The Guardian, the duo of Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott are set to release their first album, It’s A Corporate World, after a string of highly regarded EPs.

“Nothing But Our Own Love” is the perfect song that sums up where indie-dream-pop and it’s future. It’s a quiet number with synths that heighten the element of dream-pop that hovers over the track. It sounds similar to what Blonde Redhead did on Penny Sparkle, but unlike the rock veterans, this song sounds more natural, as if the band is working within it’s own comfort zone. The varying type of sounds enables the song to have a natural progression throughout and is overall a solid number.

“Ugly Person On A Movie Screen” continues with the theme of minimalist alterna-pop, with a delicate beauty that is dreamy and rocks at the same time. The duo manages to create a bouncy, dance track that can easily be labeled as an alt-rock tune. It’s a fun number that again, has a lot of synths yet works very well within the context of the album.

Staying consistent with the dream-pop theme, “When I Open My Eyes” features some of the best lyrics and storytelling on the album. As expected, this is a love song, but takes on a unique perspective. Instead of speaking of a love lost, the narrator laments over a recent breakup and clearly, isn’t happy about the current situation. The music is the perfect backdrop for this painful story that reflected well by the urgency expressed in by the tormented vocals.

The bouncy title-track is a fun, upbeat tune that showcases the band’s range. Unlike on many of the earlier cuts, there is less synth, which allows for the Detroit-natives to show off their musical prowess. It’s more alt-rock than any of the songs and is a pleasant, unexpected change of pace.

Although Epstein and Zott have been making music individually, this full-length is the start of something good. The album’s strength is its continuity and flow, which are able to highlight their strengths, while overshadowing some minor weakness. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. would make both of their namesakes proud, assuming they listened to and liked alterna-dream-pop.

The album will be released on June 7 on Quite Scientific Records and though they have yet to announce tour dates, check back on the band’s website to see when they are planning to hit the road.