|
 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
| I'm caught in two minds about this demo. One of my minds thinks that perhaps Dragonflies Draw Flame (DDF from now on) sound a bit like another band, but my other more important mind knows these are awesome songs played by a band who seem to put so much sweat and tears into their music that I almost had to wipe the disc clean before it would play in my stereo. Ah, screw my first mind. |
| |
That other band would be early Idlewild, although perhaps DDF won't thank me for pointing out the similarity. Early, fiery Idlewild. However, on this showing DDF are capable of being so good that I don't really care; this is how Idlewild should have sounded, with angular post-rock guitars, violently un-produced yet heart-wrenchingly bare vocals, and starkly pretty soundscapes Jimmy Eat World might have written a long, long time ago.
Opener "Fierceloud" gets straight down to business, with guitars to the fore and vocals that sound like they were belted out on the other side of the room from the mic, before dropping into a harmonized verse that's a cracker to sing along to. All start-stop melodic energy, the raw and honest delivery makes you want to know exactly what they're singing about (a rare and important commodity) and the lyrics don't disappoint. Whoever the wordsmith is for this band certainly knows how to pen a cryptic line that feels like it means something before you even work out if it does.
Beginning much more gently, "Crystal Radio" proves that DDF have a flipside to their bristling guitar charges. It starts off full of gently sung tunes and harmonised guitar lines, before gathering momentum and carrying the melody home with some trademark background shouty vocals. DDF can create music with such an organic nature that you don't notice the songs' structures, they just seem to possess so many subtly different textures and dynamic levels that "verses" and "choruses" are immaterial. I very much like that.
The superbly titled epic "Don't Forget What I Told You, Don't Talk About It, But Don't Forget" rounds off this three-track demo in slightly anti-climactic style however, not fully justifying its seven minutes in length. However, it does feature a cello, trumpet and flute which add a little more sonic interest, as well as a whole bundle of guitar sounds (excellently understated and refined musicianship all round, by the way), and builds to a cathartic crescendo of noise. In fact "cathartic" would be an excellent way to describe Dragonflies Draw Flame were I forced to do so with only one word. I can't wait to see them live. |
| |
| Dan Snowdon |
|
Be the first to comment on this review. |
|
| |
| Reviews | News | Talk | Features | Archive | Myspace | Contact | Voices |
| All original content is copyright of TinyVoices.co.uk 2003 to 2007 |
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
