- -- Release information ----------------------------------------------- -- -
Artist : Dexter Jones Circus Orchestra
Album : If Light Cant Save Us I Know Darkness Will
Genre : Rock
Year : 2009
Label : Fuzzorama Records
Cat# : n/a
Source : CDDA
Bitrate : VBRKbps
Size : 85,3 MB
Runtime : 46:19 min
URL : n/a
- -- Tracklist -------------------------------------------------------- -- -
01. If Bars Could Bend 02:30
02. I'm A Dog But You're A Hound 04:18
03. The Silence is Far Too Loud 05:12
04. The Monster by Your Side 05:34
05. It's Not Safe 03:22
06. Little Man 05:52
07. Free Enterprise 03:22
08. Both of Us 04:08
09. Left to Life Abide 03:43
10. Mentally Insane 04:00
11. Sad World 04:18
- -- Release notes ---------------------------------------------------- -- -
If you were wondering if Dexter Jones' Circus Orchestra got
over whatever made them so lyrically grim on 2007's Side by
Side, opener ôIf Bars Could Bendö answers in the negative.
More a somber hymn than a rock 'n' roll song, it doesn't so
much set the stage as darken it.
Sure, following number ôI'm a Dog but You're a Houndö returns
the band to its infectious Hellacopters-by-way-of-Mammoth-
Volume rock, but if you take a moment and check out what the
band's actually saying, you'd wind up feeling pretty bad
about life. If Light Can't Save Us, I Know Darkness Will
(hey, look at that û another indicator of their mindset) is a
pessimist's wet dream, replete with references to failed
mental states, insecurities, regret, broken promises,
futility, and plain old misery.
And yet musically, you'd never tell. Sure, there's an
undercurrent of sorrow here and there, but more often than
not the band's too peppy to be anything but uplifting. It's a
neat trick, one that's almost as subtle as the layering going
on in the songs. Dexter Jones' has always been more about
composition and nuance than competing with the beer drinkers
and hell raisers of the world. And with If Light Can't Save
Us..., you're in for a real treat. The band makes use of
every instrument, with multiple guitar parts weaving in and
out on top of a solid yet extremely fluid rhythm section.
Assemble together, it's thoughtful, intricate music that's
forward moving enough to still rock. Speaking of which, if
new guitarist Mathew Bethancourt's (Josiah, Kings of Frog
Island, Cherry Choke) sole contribution was the solo that
tears up the end of ôLittle Man,ö he's earned his keep and
then some.
In the context of the band's previous two releases, I'd say
this is a step above Side by Side and on par or slightly
ahead of Dexter Jones' Circus Orchestra. Their debut had the
benefit of being an instant classic, but this album showcases
an extraordinary amount of talent and musical growth. In
terms of peers, I'm having trouble coming up with names. If
Light Can't Save Us, I Know Darkness Will is one of the first
highlights of 2010. Highly recommended.
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