Bands are a brand, and it's an unfortunate way to look at them, but it's true. And like a brand in the business world, you have to make your product stand out more then your competitors, in this case, bands in the same genre as you. That means hard work, originality and talent to round out your finished product. With Thee Dang Dangs album, For The People, the product is as fresh and original as I bet they hoped it would be.
"Pieces Of You", which plays like some sort of lost ballad, displays the typical tropes bands like these usually have, in other words, reverberated vocals, highly treble based guitar riffs, etc. What sounds basic actually comes across as very original because they know how to tweak the differences just right to make it stand out. In a world littered with bands like this right now, it's a welcome change of pace to not be bored by a familiar sound like theirs.
Instrumental tracks like "White Buffalo" and "Pray For Rain" are cool additions to the album, reminding me that an instrumental track, when done well, can add to an albums overall impact instead of hurting it. "Lips Around Your Spine" and "Breathe On Me Young Frankenstein" are more garage-rock influenced songs, giving the album a big energy boost. They're good songs, and saying they gave the album an 'energy boost' isn't an insult, it's just a fact of life. Thee Dang Dangs style is varied, and I love that, because it gives us a sense of mystery. Not every song has to sound the same.
"Kingdoms Lost", which clocks in at 6 minutes, remains my favorite track on the album. It combines almost all the styles they created along the way on the album, and puts them together in one awesome track. It's amazing they're able to keep my attention with it, because I have the attention span of a six year with a handful of pixie sticks. It just proves they have a presence, or essence, about them that drowns out your lifes background noise and forces to you listen to only them.
For The People is great, and at first, I was very skeptical about it. I don't like to doubt a band before they've even finished playing one song, but when so many bands have the same approach, it's hard not to have some lingering doubt in your mind. But Thee Dang Dangs proved me wrong, and I'm glad they did, because they've given us, in my opinion, one of the best albums you'll hear this year. And that's a brand I can get behind. - Shane
Check out the album here! http://theedangdangs.bandcamp.com/
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