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Despistado
The Emergency Response EP
(Jade
Tree)
It is amusing to think that the majority of quality music produced
has been the result of some sort of hardship that in one way
or another has befallen said musicians. Poverty, social segregation,
supposed “lack of current relevance,” geographical
isolation – all can play a part in a musician’s
crafting of quality song. Perhaps it is because their situation
presents them with greater experience, or that maybe their circumstances
provide the necessary drive to provoke change in their surroundings
(because lets face it, when you throw a million bucks at someone
with a guitar, what follows is more than likely to be a piece
of shit). It has been the foundation of all great music revolutions,
and while Despistado are far from sparking a neo-uprising, they
once again prove that reaching a destination going uphill is
far more rewarding that plopping on to the summit from the industry’s
silver highway.
If a group of musicians were to write a great song in the remote
locale of Regina, Saskatchewan (where apparently there are more
hand-planted trees than people), would anybody hear it? Indeed,
if geographical isolation were a tough hill to climb, try being
musicians in a far-off part of Canada. Thankfully, Regina has
been blessed with modern discoveries like the mailbox and with
the blessing of such advancement, their music wound up in the
hands of longtime purveyors of quality-above-profitable music
Jade Tree, who promptly snatched them up from the wintery freeze
of creative seclusion.
So what does less than 3000 hours of sunshine a year do to able
songwriters? Well for starters Despistado demonstrates a high
level of energy not usually reserved for hibernating weather.
The Emergency Response is very much built on spastic
high-octane treble guitar strums and machinegun snare strikes
that is very much up-and-go from the onset. And while the release
is unapologetically lo-fi, the snazzy pitch does add plenty
to the appeal.
“A Stirstick’s Prediction” very much paves
the way for the rest of the tunes. Highly flamboyant (that opening
bass line is killer), frenetic, and unabashed about just how
damn catchy it is; it could easily parade itself on the dance
floor before skipping over to any scummy back alley. Before
you scream “Dance?!” put away any notion that they
may pogo-along to The Rapture or Gang of Four; they’re
more likely to garner comparisons to Wire’s spindly build
or early At The Drive-In (both are inescapable references).
Nonetheless the songs do envelope certain body-shaking vibes,
but they’re more disorganized flailing and less routine
steps.
There is hesitance to shove them in to the post-punk caste;
but if the need to do so should arise, it would perhaps be the
most accurate labeling. “HiFi Stereo” is another
fine example of how they tend to skirt around these more accessible
means with passionate disobedience. The band’s inventive
instrumentation is extremely solid, shown here to breed rhythmic
structures with chaotic dissonance; all before longtime neighbors
Dargan Harding and Joel Passmore wail in with their beautifully
obnoxious vocals.
While the EP isn’t complete by any stretch, it demonstrates
a set of songs worth exploring. If anything, it provides a daring
thirst for more. And with a full length sure to follow, one
can hope that Despistado will take what The Emergency Response
has so proficiently shown, douse it with kerosene, and then
light the son-of-a-bitch. Pay heed world! Regina, Saskatchewan
is about to put itself on the map.
Reviewed by
Billy Maulana
April 23rd, 2004 |
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