Review:

on 2011-03-14 CharlesMartel Said:

Dream Syndicate were often regarded as the epitome of the Paisley Underground scene, a tag which, whatever its merits, the band found easy enough to move away from. As that scene was comprised of bands who were devoted to the psychedelic era of the late sixties, it became easy to label them as revivalists. Yet, for every comparison between Dream Syndicate and Lou Reed - and I can see the reason for such a link, even though its constant repetition becomes an annoyance after a while - Dream Syndicate were very much a product of the eighties and in some way looked forward. This may seem odd to those familiar with the band's history, but I have to say that, in terms of the delivery and pace of the vocals, if not the style of the voice, I frequently found myself making comparisons between Steve Wynn's nasal whine and the voice of one of my all time great musical heroes - Mike Scott of the Waterboys.

Before you choke on your doughnut (or donut to our etymologically challenged cousins from the other fifty states) or spit out your coffee, let me explain. Let me give you a challenge: listen to the title track off this album and pay close attention to the vocal delivery. Then listen to "Be My Enemy" off the Waterboys' classic album, "This Is the Sea". Now try telling me that the vocal delivery, if not the voice and subject matter are similar. This comparison extends to other tracks as well and while Wynn never gets to the emotional level Scott frequently does, I find the similarity to be so close as to be doubtful if this is a coincidence.

Wynn's often bizarre lyrics and limited vocal range gave Dream Syndicate a unique opportunity to stamp their mark on the music of the age. At the time "Days of Wine and Roses" emerged, the musical shot in the arm that punk had provided had given rise to a number of different styles of music and invigorated slumbering potential talent across the English-speaking world. Much as punk had been a back-to-basics sort of movement, the interest it had sparked in musical styles from the fifties and sixties had paid off in terms of moving away from virtuoso led music and back to a more organic sound. Music once again became a vehicle for expressing emotions and feelings, rather than droning on about wizards and associated shit.

Against that background, the sort of garage-rock/psychedelic revival of which Dream Syndicate found themselves a part was not unusual. And the ability to express oneself as a unique entity, as opposed to being judged on how well you could play the guitar, meant that the band had an opportunity to exploit that uniqueness. This is not to say that the band members were untalented - far from it. But they used their talent to express themselves in a way which was new for the times. The most noticeable fact about the music is the clear distinction which can be drawn at all times between the two guitars. One plays a dense, fuzzy sound, full of reverb and the squeaks and screeches of barely controlled feedback; the other twangs its way across the songs in a style reminiscent of bands like the Shadows. Both these guitar sounds are heavily sixties influenced, but are combined here in a unique way, separate and distinct, yet each contributing equally to the whole of the sound.

As the band moves through the album, the tracks seem to become longer and the amount of time spent singing decreases. "Halloween" gives the first indication of this trend which reaches its peak with the final, the title track. Before that moment, it almost seems as if the band had been rehearsing with a number of different approaches. "Until Lately" allows Wynn the chance to scream and drop the pretence of sanity; "Too Little Too Late" sees Kendra Smith take the lead vocal role in a laid back, sultry yet dismissive love song; "When You Smile" is another love song, another slower number, allowing the band's lyrics to depict love as assort of morbid and macabre obsession.

Given that the arrangement of the tracks on the album seems to have been carefully done to create just that sort of effect, the additional tracks on this extended version come as something of a disappointment. Taken on their own, most of them are fine, though I question the value of having rehearsal session versions included as they add nothing except a lack of production. The sound on the EP's which are included here is quite distinctive, and different, muddier than on the album. I can understand wanting to present a more complete picture, but I would have thought putting these on a separate CD in a 2-CD set would have been better. Had it not been for that, this album may well have had a higher rating.
Rating: 8/10