Pow Magazine album Review: Dumb Numbers
The first time I heard Dumb Numbers I had just gotten out of a committed relationship. We were engaged. We broke up. All that nonsense thats not interesting to anyone. Long story short, she hated my music and since she was gone, it was time to start expanding that aspect of my life. I went to record stores and picked up anything I could find that had an interesting cover. Anyone who’s done this, for any reason, know you find more junk than gold. But, it’s still a lot of fun. One particularly interesting cover contained a purple background and a flower. Upon further inspection I noticed David Lynch had done the artwork. David Yow of Jesus Lizard was mention. And then Murph from Dinosaur Jr. Needless to say, I was sold.
So, I got the album home and looked at the gorgeous vinyl, pinks and purples melted together and promptly placed it on my turn table and let the needle spin. What I was met with was a mesh of psychedelic, doom, and enough reverb that my skull almost felt like it split open. And, like a sponge, being pressed so thoroughly that any remnants of grime leak out, all my sadness, bitterness, or wasted time was expunged. An entirely new world had surfaced. So, three years later, saying I was excited for Dumb Numbers II is a bit of an understatement.
Dumb Numbers has taken nearly all sub genres of alternative rock and layered them one on top of the other and made a sound as familiar as coming home to the house you were raised in and juxtaposing it with that first thought of not belonging there. Of experimenting with something mind altering substance that the feeling goes away. But all that happens is you’ve changed more. The dangerously listless feeling almost everyone struggles with. Each song on this new album and the self titled debut play freely with this marriage of nostalgia and new isolation. The romanced days of before are over. And you’re better for it.
Adam Harding is no novice to creating art in various forms of media. He’s directed videos for DJ Shadow, Warpaint, and Swervedriver just to name a few. He’s the mad scientist behind this experiment and the revolving door of musicians is daunting. It features a myriad of talented musicians I haven’t mentioned yet. Adam has a knack for seeing these talents and, rather than using them to carry the songs, he uses each one in a masterful way that gives them freedom to express their artistry and build on his distinct sound. He’s essentially become a free symphony conductor using melting guitars and bass as the strings, the drums as the percussion section. But, he never seems restrictive. Instead, he is able to make what honestly shouldn’t work fit together perfectly.
The album begins with the distortion heavy “My Mantra”. Doomy guitars dripping with echo are provided by Adam Harding, and Bonnie Mercer. But in the background each instrument almost sounds like it’s fighting to be on top. The only bound instruments seems to be the drumming by Dale Crover and bass bass by Steve Patrick. Their skills act like a lion tamer disparately keeping everything in check. And the closer to this thing has something akin to chanting done by what seems to be the combined voices of Adam, Dale, Alexander Hack, David Yow, and Kevin Rutmanis.
A more straightforward drum roll, performed by Murph, and duel riffs, by Bonnie and Adam, starts “Will You Earn A ★?”. It’s a fairly short number but also extremely energized. Murph keeps everything in check on par with Dale but, of course, adds his flair making it completely his.
“Girl On The Screen” sees an almost somber tone overtaking everything. The atmosphere really becomes engulfed in the new dimension added by incorporating mellotron and synths by Bobb Bruno.
Picking up a heavier riff is “Essence//Existence”. The guitars of Bonnie and Adam almost take a Black Sabbath route but are way too unhinged. Murph’s drumming here is superb and Adam’s vocals tell a troubling tale.
“No-One” was written by Quasi’s Sam Coomes and moves at a funeral doom pace. Murph’s drums almost take on a marching band’s style. Beautiful cello work performed by Aniela Perry drench the already somber tone. And in the end the entire piece flickers away with Bobb’s mini orchestra landing like a swan.
All caution is completely thrown out the window with “Unbury The Hatchet”. David and Alexander take vocal duties and have cranked everyone’s distortion up tenfold. It’s disorienting. It’s claustrophobic. It’s cathartic. The last moments are filled with lush atmosphere and an unsettling buzz that can only be described as haunting.
“Wonder Why” is sobering and melodic, almost reflective in nature. Aniella’s cello woven deeper than on “No-One”. Lou is back on bass also with Murph’s drumming. This, sonically, is the most reminiscent to Dumb Number’s first album.
Cleverly named “Sometimes There’s No Next Time” closes the album. This sees Kevin picking up bass duties and really shining. Dale is back on drums. Both instruments melt into Adam’s distorted world and completely ends these nightmare dreamscapes with what a cloud of smoke might sound like if you listen close enough.
And while I could go on the individual songs I suppose with I appreciate the most about Dumb Numbers II is what I appreciated on their first album. It’s another world. A perfectly creative, surreal, lush, and otherworldly atmosphere that more than speaks for itself. Each repeated listen is another step into another world. Now the question is, are you ready.
More about the music of Dumb Numbers:
http://dumbnumbers.com/album/dumb-numbers-ii
Richard Murray, Pow Magazine
rdmurrayiii at gmail dot com
