Vocalist/guitarist Paul Saulnier (Paul Saulnier I Love You?) formed the band in 2006 while still in college, initially as a vehicle for his home recordings, composed mainly on guitar and his trusty Casio keyboard. Saulnier developed a loyal local following, and came to the inevitable realization that a dude tinkling away on a Casio keyboard is exactly no one's idea of a rockin' live show. He wisely enlisted the drumming talents of school mate Benjamin Nelson, and the duo recorded a series of singles and EPs, before releasing their first full-length, Meet Me At Muster Station, in 2010. The album garnered some favorable reviews from indie music sites, but the band failed to make much of an impact in the US.
With Death Dreams, the band has expanded its sound, and likely, its fanbase. Rather than just crank his amp up to eleven (which it sounds as though he has), Saulnier has also deftly employed a variety of production techniques (multitracks and a legion of effects pedals, among others) to give his accomplished guitar skills some added heft. His intricate fretwork is showcased on "Don't Go", an atmospheric anthem that features a screeching high register eruption midway through, and a soulful, gospel-tinged female backing vocal on the chorus. The following track, "Don't Go", ups the sonic stakes to a level of artful noise that Kevin Shields wouldn't necessarily scoff at (a compliment, to be clear).
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| Bucking the "Emaciated Indie Rock Frontman" stereotype: Paul Saulnier (left). Frontrunner for this year's "Wait, I Thought He Was the Frontman" Award: Benjamin Nelson (right). |
The band delves into full-on artistic introspection with the instrumental passages "Death Dreams Pt. I" and "Death Dreams Pt. II". The companion tracks meld meandering guitar lines from Saulnier with gentle cymbal washes from Nelson, and recall recent ambient work from contemporaries like Deerhunter and No Age. Saulnier has said in interviews that he was haunted by dreams of his own mortality while touring, and these brief song suites suggest a sonic accompaniment to a journey into the afterlife. I'm a sucker for this type of background mood music when it's done well, and I only wish that these two tracks took more time to develop this aural theme.
Saulnier has evidently spent some quality time with his Casio in between albums, as Death Dreams displays a gleeful and unabashed wealth of especially catchy guitar hooks and melodies. "Sentimental Dishes" features punchy riffs, complimented by hand claps and "Na Na Na's" that would make Ric Ocasek nostalgic. "Red Quarter" channels The Pixies in full pop stomp mode and cements Saulnier as Frank Black's heir to the yelping/shouting style of indie rock vocal (note: Saulnier's vocals prompt the common three-step, ridicule-annoyance-acceptance method of coping with unconventional indie rock frontman singing). "Red Quarter" is also the song on which Saulnier finally uncorks the furious solo of which he's clearly capable, and damned if he doesn't make a convincing case for eventually succeeding our hero J. Mascis as indie rock Face Melter in Chief.
The band wisely saves the album's best song for its conclusion. "First Contact" begins with Saulnier warbling over swift acoustic strumming. Witnessing the guitar heroics that have come before, it would be disappointing to hear the band close on such a quiet note (but appropriate, considering the overall theme). So it's with great relief that Saulnier plugs in and dials up the distortion after the first couple of verses, and it's even more pleasing to hear a rollicking, blues rock riff that contrasts his somber lyrics mourning lost love. In place of a chorus, he lets the riff open up into full-on classic seventies rock, complete with a two-part harmony indicating that he's has been listening to a lot of Thin Lizzy. This is one of those earworm melodies that inches its way down your ear canal and burrows its way right into your cerebral cortex. Then it plays on loop for a good three or four days, until you're finally compelled to hop in the car, roll down the windows, press Play, and cruise around aimlessly for an hour or two. Right on time, the song of the summer is here.
While Death Dreams deals with rather dark themes, and Saulnier's lyrics frequently betray his own fear, loneliness, and desperation, the band find a balance to all of the grim uncertainty that life can present by creating music that's utterly invigorating and unmistakably vital.
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