Extravagant, pop has rarely been so noisly perfect.
by hoopla
I was happy to come across a track by Dozemarypool on a compilation put out by KWUR. Their contribution "The Champion" was the standout of the disc. I raved about it in a review for Sauce over a year ago. I had heard that a full-length release was on its way, so I waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. Well, good things come to those who wait. This self titled disc is comprised of earlier demos written between 2001 and 2003. It's a bit rough around the edges, revealing the "demo" status of the recordings, but it's a gem certainly unlike anything you'll hear coming out of St. Louis. Hopefully some right-minded industry folk will pay for these boys to hole up in a studio for a while and push out something that exhibits their full potential. The band -- Keith Mangles, bass; Ryan Stoutenborough, guitar and vocals; Andy Stoutenborough, drums create a swirling sound that sometimes crashes like storm-driven waves and other times quietly wanders around inside its own head. When reviewing "The Champion" last year, I described Dozemarypool as residing somewhere between Hum and Verve. And I'll stand by that, with Hum's hiss and mass and Verve's astral aspirations. Listening to this full-lengther, more bands come to mind incredible, heroic bands, like Colfax Abbey, Ride, Stone Roses, My Bloody Valentine. (Remarkable bands, all. You should go out and get you some.) These bands crafted tunes that could be trippy, quiet, loud, danceable, raging, washes of sound in turn or all at once. But Dozemarypool also reminds me of dare I say it? Jimi Hendrix. Now calm down. Ryan Stoutenbrough is not given to the pyrotechnics and acid-blues soloing that most people associate with Hendrix. I'm thinking of Hendrix' mellower fare with his drowsy strumming and crunchy tone brought on by crackling-hot amp tubes. Check out "Candleshoe," "The Sun Never Came Out," "Park Place ..1," and "Park Place ..2" to hear what I mean. Brother Andy Stoutenborough adds to the Hendrix comparison; his sometimes tumbling, crashing drums sound like Hendrix' drummer Mitch Mitchell. One of my favorite aspects of the tunes on "Dozemarypool" is that the melodies vocal and guitar veer off in directions you would not expect, zigging when you expect a zag. They do it on "Change Something," "Highwaters Input," and elsewhere. The Western ear has been trained to expect certain moves within songs, and Dozemarypool takes daring, out-of-the-blue turns that elevate the songs and dazzle the listener. In case you're curious, the band's name is one of many European lakes that claim to be the one into which King Arthur tossed Excalibur* and where the Lady of the Lake hangs out. *Actually, Arthur didn't do the tossing, but that's another story. Doesn't matter. Seek out this band. Seek out this disc. You'll be glad you did.
