1. Pariah
2. Drunk Slide
3. Ireland
5. Lightswitch
7. Information
9. Saviour
10. R U O K?
11. I Don't Know
15. Cartoon Showroom
16. Quotes
18. Stamp Of Origin: Horizons
Although I'm providing YouTube links to the songs, I'd strongly suggest you
listen to the tracks via Spotify or iTunes as the sound on the YouTube videos
is altered in order to avoid copyright issues.
No, it's not a grammatical error, dredg is actually written entirely in lowercase (It's called trend setting). You can put that irritating suspicion at ease. Anyway, today I will be reviewing the brilliantly eccentric and dynamic album, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion, which is loosely based off Salman Rushdie's essay, Imagine There Is No Heaven. But, this is a review of music not literature, so I'm not going to delve into that.
Like a majority of the reviews I've conducted thus far, this band is no stranger to experimentation, and this album is most certainly not an exception. Vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette, and drummer Dino Campanella amalgamate their individual talents to bring this extraordinary album. The band has slight metal influences, but it is far more progressive, blending heavy instrumentals with alternative vocals.
The album is introduced by an eerie children's chant overlapping a piano. As soon as the repetitive, short-lived chant comes to a conclusion, the drum and guitar proceed to take over the track. Gavin Hayes introduces his vocals through subtle distortion, yet it is easy to see that he has complete control of his voice. He may not have the most unique voice, but it's impossible to disregard his talent. Pariah carries an alternative vibe much like many of the tracks on the album.
Following Pariah comes a short but catchy electronic instrumental track, Drunk Slide, using interesting sounds including a xylophone and distorted piano. Another experimental instrumental (That's a tongue-twister) is R U O K? which uses a consistent piano melody and steady percussion while mixing in various soundscapes and electronic tones. The album does feature a traditional instrumental; though, that's not to suggest that it's in the least bit dull. Long Days And Vague Clues is a very animated track that evokes a sense of approaching trepidation and chaos.
The album also features soothing and serene alternative tracks. Ireland is relatively upbeat yet revolves around a steady and simple rhythm. Lightswitch works with alternating tempos while featuring southern instrumental influences. Saviour seizes the opportunity to trash on the guitars by providing a metal-esque track. And, Information is a jaunty and uplifting melody, mixing multiple instruments and Hayes' vocals to produce a confident harmony. But, I believe it is Gathering Pebbles, I Don't Know, and Mourning This Morning that truly captures the albums dynamics by showcasing refreshing pulse that tickles your ear holes.
Aside from the unique instrumentals and vocals, this album has four very short tracks all beginning with the title Stamp of Origin. These mysterious tracks all sound very much alike and use minimal (if any) vocals and subtle beats. I'll leave it up to you to decipher their meanings (Yes, of course because I'm lazy).
And that brings my review to a close. Again (as always) I urge you to give this album a shot. If I enjoyed reviewing it, I hope that you'll—at the very least—enjoy listening to it. It's unique enough to carry a sound all its own but not so outlandish that you'll be lost in its attempts at experimentation.
Final Verdict:
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Also, I'm always diligently searching for refreshing and unique albums to review. If you know of a band that you think will peak my interest (or not) let me know in the comment section or otherwise. I'd be more than happy to write a review on it. Just don't be offended if I give it a rating slightly less than you'd hoped (Not that my ratings are worth a damn).
The album is introduced by an eerie children's chant overlapping a piano. As soon as the repetitive, short-lived chant comes to a conclusion, the drum and guitar proceed to take over the track. Gavin Hayes introduces his vocals through subtle distortion, yet it is easy to see that he has complete control of his voice. He may not have the most unique voice, but it's impossible to disregard his talent. Pariah carries an alternative vibe much like many of the tracks on the album.
Following Pariah comes a short but catchy electronic instrumental track, Drunk Slide, using interesting sounds including a xylophone and distorted piano. Another experimental instrumental (That's a tongue-twister) is R U O K? which uses a consistent piano melody and steady percussion while mixing in various soundscapes and electronic tones. The album does feature a traditional instrumental; though, that's not to suggest that it's in the least bit dull. Long Days And Vague Clues is a very animated track that evokes a sense of approaching trepidation and chaos.
The album also features soothing and serene alternative tracks. Ireland is relatively upbeat yet revolves around a steady and simple rhythm. Lightswitch works with alternating tempos while featuring southern instrumental influences. Saviour seizes the opportunity to trash on the guitars by providing a metal-esque track. And, Information is a jaunty and uplifting melody, mixing multiple instruments and Hayes' vocals to produce a confident harmony. But, I believe it is Gathering Pebbles, I Don't Know, and Mourning This Morning that truly captures the albums dynamics by showcasing refreshing pulse that tickles your ear holes.
Aside from the unique instrumentals and vocals, this album has four very short tracks all beginning with the title Stamp of Origin. These mysterious tracks all sound very much alike and use minimal (if any) vocals and subtle beats. I'll leave it up to you to decipher their meanings (Yes, of course because I'm lazy).
And that brings my review to a close. Again (as always) I urge you to give this album a shot. If I enjoyed reviewing it, I hope that you'll—at the very least—enjoy listening to it. It's unique enough to carry a sound all its own but not so outlandish that you'll be lost in its attempts at experimentation.
Final Verdict:
Also, I'm always diligently searching for refreshing and unique albums to review. If you know of a band that you think will peak my interest (or not) let me know in the comment section or otherwise. I'd be more than happy to write a review on it. Just don't be offended if I give it a rating slightly less than you'd hoped (Not that my ratings are worth a damn).
Psssh, dredg's got nothing on fun. fun. is lowercased AND has an unnecessary period at the end. AND they won 2 grammys. Which means they don't suck, right?
ReplyDeleteI liked this a lot. Like, I actually will get this album. Gathering Pebbles probably stands out my favorite, but a lot of good tracks in this album.
Yeah, Gathering Pebbles is my favorite track on the album as well.
DeleteBut, *touches the bridge of my unnecessary, thick-rimmed glasses* dredg did it first.
Also, I wonder... If you're writing a sentence ending with fun., do you have to put two periods? For instance, "The winner is fun.." That'd be terribly confusing.
Mmmm.... I might give this a listen later. Not now though, I don't think the people around me would appreciate that. :P
ReplyDeleteOf course they'd appreciate it. Unless, of course, you work in a library or nunnery.
Delete