Dang, not to shit on “Bystander” (Which rules!) but that lead single in no way prepares the uninitiated for what’s to come on the rest of Spiralized, dropbear’s powerfully emotive debut EP. At all. Loud and luscious, the first collection of songs from the Boston quintet who feature in their ranks a potpourri of artists representing an eclectic array of the local music scene is, quite simply, divine.
But I digress.
dropbear is their name and bringing the nu-gaze is their game. Or something like that. As mentioned, we think their debut single, “Bystander”, rules and said as much in our recent review of the track (Which you can read all about when you head here) but in the context of Spiralized it kinda gets overshadowed. But on a perfect release, that’s the way it’s supposed to happen. That first song is supposed to intrigue you, reel you in, encapsulate yer earholes, and the rest is supposed to make you a fan for life. And that’s exactly what “Bystander” did and what Spiralized does.
Within the context of Spiralized, “Bystander” gets a slightly abbreviated version to boot cutting down the monolithic almost eight minute runtime to half that which lets “Self-Help” shine that much more when it comes to storming out the gates as loudly as it does. With an intensity similar to “New Day Rising”, Rachel Bacon leads the charge with this vibrant anthem as Matt Tillman and Joseph Perrier’s guitars descend into some grungy Bleach-like depths towards song’s end.
“The Weight” continues the robust residency by tantalizing yer auditory senses with some Prog goodness from Perrier and Tillman before drifting into this dreamy arc that lets Bacon spread those vocal chops and then some. “Sitcom Show” strives for next level greatness with Bacon’s voice sounding especially majestic and entrancing while Tee Jay and Christian Russo provide a raucous rhythmic rumble on the drums and bass respectively for a nifty sonic dichotomy. Then there’s “Not The First, Never The Last” which is that classic closing number that sees the band as this perfect, cohesive unit firing on all cylinders and navigating the waters together for one last magnificent send off that’s just a joyous celebration of the Rawk!
Spiralized arrives on July 22nd and can be pre-ordered/pre-saved now by heading here. For the latest and greatest from dropbear, follow the trail of socials when you click here, here, or here.