It wasn't so long ago that I suggested that the grunge revival was pretty much an inevitability. As usual, I was right, and the evidence is building by the day, from a slow trickle at first to a veritable deluge in recent weeks. I'm not complaining, because, being the age I am, I have a soft spot for the music of my adolescence, and also because I like being right. So far, however, the neo-grungers I've encountered all have had their four-chord riffs firmly set in various shapes of the Nirvana mould.
With 'Sugar,' Dead Confederate offer something a little different: they're the new Smashing Pumpkins. I'm not so sure that time's been kind to the Pumpkins: I personally gave up on them after 'Siamese Dream'. 'Mellon Collie' was overly-long, self-indulgent and not just a little bit emo. Thankfully, Dead Confederate have taken early Pumpkins as their touchstone to deliver an album full of big growling guitars that dominate the sweet (and, arguably, borderline weak) vocals.
In fairness, the contrast works well, and let's face it, Billy Corgan could never be considered a 'trong' vocalist either. It kicks off with a nagging Hammond organ and overwrought guitar, held tightly together by a pounding drum and fuzzed-out bass. Straddling psychedelia and grunge 'In the Dark' makes for a promising and exciting start, and paves the way for an album that's full of different moods and hidden depths. 'Father Figure' is a brooding down-tempo track that's well served by a raid-fire snare that cuts through the sludgy guitars, while 'Quiet Kid' serves up a feast of angst-filled distortion and 'Mob Scene' is a full-on sonic assault.
|
'Giving It All Away' is arguably one of the album's weaker tracks, although being light, breezy and overtly poppy, an obvious single choice. Besides, it does feature proto-grunge legend J. Mascis, who delivers one of his trademark solos toward the end, and I'm a sucker for his fretwork.
Across the album, there's plenty of grunt, with an overdriven guitar pushed to the point of amp overload, and the rough-hewn riffage with power-chords galore contrast with the vocals to good effect. There are softer moments, too, when the grungy guitars take a back seat and strings take over, providing texture and variety, not to mention emotional range expressed sonically, resulting in an album that's solid and satisfying.
Dead Confederate on Myspace
|
