5 months, 5 albums
I’m playing catch up with a burgeoning inbox of new music, and in doing so I am too slow for prolific band Def Robot. As I prepare to write some words about their 4th album, Sabbatical, they have announced the release of their 5th album, Play This When We’re Gone next week.
Based on the album release rate by other bands you may be forgiven for thinking I am way behind with this one, but if I tell you that their first album was released on 24th of May, with the 5th due on 18th of October, you can maybe cut me some slack…
Filler or killer?
The question from many may be, are they just throwing out any old shit? Some bands, I mention no names – fill in your own blanks, took aeons to release a follow up to their debut and often the less said about the follow up the better. Not so for Def Robot, the music across all the releases to date is of a high standard. I was only introduced to the music from album four, but having investigated the first three, and after an initial blast of album five, I can honestly say I haven’t been disappointed.
So, what of the music on Sabbatical? From the opening burst of squally white noise overlaid with random voices, TV Lies opens up into a driving alt-rock beast and cements itself firmly in your psyche. TV lies, newspapers lie, big business lies, governments lie, politicians lie – at least we’ve got the music. Throbbing bass greets you as Kracklite kicks in like a pseudo-Nirvana grunge anthem, complete with Cobain-esque lyrics and tone. The track then reveals itself to be a west coast drenched psychedelic pop masterpiece, switching effortlessly between the two personas.
Significant highlights
Significance is one of the album highlights for me with a soar away chorus that has you signing it at random moments throughout the day, before the atmospheric Neon Lights introduces some weird to the mix, coming on like The Doors meets The Damned’s Grimly Fiendish.
Wishing My Days Away is as mellow as the title suggests, while the choppy intro to the magnificent Arthouse introduces another glorious chorus with the music revealing a harder edge.
Talking of the weird and eccentric, there are elements of the sound on several tracks that bring to mind The Flaming Lips, Better With a Drink is a case in point, the intro vocal could be Wayne Coyne. The track switches between those laid back almost wistful moments and a more frantic cacophony, like the effects of drinking itself, the high and the comedown. The frantic energy continues into the four to the floor riff-laden animated rock of Get Back in Control.
Glorious finale
Penultimate track Persistence has a rhythm that lives up to its name, an addictive repetitive harmony has you nodding your head and tapping your foot in time before it bursts into a glorious finale. Final track Simpatico opens with dissonant distorted harmonica and blends North East post punk/indie with US alternative rock stylings. A mix that kind of tells the story of the entire album, a perfect end to a superb album.
If you like alternative/indie power pop rock with an edge and elements of grunge thrown in for good measure, then Def Robot are right up your street. Get in quick, I’m slightly worried that by the time I finish writing album 6 will be out…
Head over to the Def Robot bandcamp page and pick up your copies of all five albums now