Source: Album Artwork
Whenever post-hardcore wizards Dance Gavin Dance bring out a new release, it’s pretty much impossible to know what to expect. The band are charting new territory, with their third album in a row with the same singer combination, and fans have previously been quite critical of vocalist Tilian Pearson. However, in Mothership the band show that they have finally settled down and got it together
From opening track ‘Chucky vs. The Giant Tortoise’, it’s obvious Mothership is a highly experimental piece of work. Unlike previous albums, Pearson’s vocals aren’t overproduced, and sound raw and emotional. Jon Mess seamlessly interweaves this with aggressive, chaotic yells characteristic of DGD. The following track ‘Young Robot’ opens with Zelda-esque flutes which lead to a very funky guitar riff and bassline, which demonstrates the versatility of each band member. Tight drums, and some very skilled production add to the quality of this song, making it a guaranteed fan-favourite.
Both vocalists are also given opportunities to show the full range of their talents on Mothership. Previously, there had been complaints from fans that Mess’ parts were getting less and less, and while ‘Exposed’ will add to the worries of critics, it really givens Pearson a chance to show off his full range of vocal skill. He proves that he can hit the highest notes, change pace to a gentle harmony and even strain without sounding painful. These critics will be reassured by ‘Petting Zoo Justice’; a definite fight song on the harder side of hardcore with some guitar, bass and drumlines very characteristic of the genre. This song is yet another string to DGD’s bow, and is another chance taken by the band to show what they are capable of.
There are also some interesting lyrics on Mothership; the kind of lyrics that could only be written by DGD. The chant of ‘Cocaine Christmas’ in ‘Flossie Dickey Bounce’ could only have come from the DGD camp, and there’s even a Drake reference in ‘Chocolate Jackolope’ which doesn’t sound entirely out of place in a song with song obvious RnB influences, perhaps leftover from the Jonny Craig era of DGD.
One of post-hardcore’s most exciting bands have really pulled it out of the bag with Mothership. It may have taken a lot of line-up changes, a little of stepping outside of their comfort zone and a whole lot of experimenting, but they might have stumbled upon their definitive piece of work. Each band member is given an opportunity to show their full potential, and along with some very intricate and skilled production, Mothership is the perfect example of the evolution of DGD over the 10 years they have been making music, and is proof that they’ve never been better.
