|
 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
| I pick up the plastic case as the seventies sun-soaked blissed-out hippy sentiment leaks from the speakers. The greasy-looking Scandinavians in the picture made this sound, probably, as the jingoistic side of me likes to think, sitting around in a pine-clad cabin embedded in a snow-covered woodland idyll. One – Gustav, I think – looks like a dropout loser I used to work with, but with police protection and a subsequent now-in-hiding beard. |
| |
'Panda' kicks off like an indulgent modern jazz solo, eases into a dirty groove, then relaxes into a country-like pulsing before alternating into a forceful riff. All within 60 seconds. Phew. The psychedelic vibe is somewhat frayed and used, but Dungen pull it off, retaining their decency in spite of the flavour-of-the-month feel. I can't help but feel that Panda as a whole would seem rather hokey if the lyrics were in English; certainly 'Tyst Minut's dirgelike post-Beatles impression would be exciting only if you'd never heard any pop music from the last 50 years.
If Dungen's music were a beverage, it'd be a dusty vintage red, or a beer entitled with a seductive 'aged in casks' claim. 'Jamna Plagor' in particular exudes a sensuous sonic familiarity with its jangling guitars and vinyl-like pop and crackle (as do the other tracks). But the fuzzed-out, arcane record sound production could get tiresome beyond a few choice tunes. After a while, the ear complains about missing the clarity expected from 44,000 Hertz of laser-read sound. And besides, those lank greasy haircuts and ironic sense of dress (tight jumpers, pfft) merely help to reenforce the impression of this aesthetic novelty.
Not bad, but not great. |
| |
| Stuart Reeves - 6/10 |
|
 |
Name:
chris hughes
| Date:
07/12/08 | Reply
If only good music could just exist without being defined and gutted and boiled down to a paste and stomped on by self important critic types. Dungen may not be one of the four bands on this earth to which you give your priceless respect, but they do seem honest about what they are doing, and it shines through in the very manner in which the music is presented. Any musician knows that good music (or art) is about trusting that the artist beleives in what they're doing, that their heart is in it. This all holds true despite what the sound quality nazis or the fashion police might try to secrete out of their oral poop chutes. We should all be so lucky to possess such a creative approach to rock music, and those who would criticize should be able provide proof that they could do any better if they tried.
|
|
|
| |
| Reviews | News | Talk | Features | Archive | Myspace | Contact | Voices |
| All original content is copyright of TinyVoices.co.uk 2003 to 2007 |
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
