Double Dagger -333 (Thrill Jockey Records)
LP
20 April 2013
In their nine years together, Double Dagger
have played with some pretty impressive names – The Buzzcocks, Pere Ubu and
Lightning Bolt – and boast past band members from League Of Death and Pissed
Jeans. Hailing from Baltimore, the
post-punk trio say goodbye with a new six track album called ‘333’ and
accompanying DVD, ‘If We Shout Loud Enough’.
There’s more than a hint of Joy Division to the
opening of ‘The Mirror’ with the bass taking the place of a customary
guitar. Slow drums kicking in with a
Pixies (‘Doolittle’) style, Nolen Strals’ spoken vocals quite back in the mix slowly
leading up to over-enthused shouting, and, thumping drums to a chorus which is instantly
memorable. A superb raw, live feel
capturing power and energy alike.
‘Foreign Bodies’ displays elements of punk etiquette with a tune trying
its best to break out, and, at two and a half minutes it’s short and to the
point.
Instrumental, ‘Space Dust’, again has an almost
Peter Hook bassline and bounces along up to ‘Supply Demand’ which bursts into
action with an intro that scared the shit out of me the first time it
started. Ready to explode and more than capable. After an initial comparison to The Dresden
Dolls, ‘Figure Eights’ flows into a strange melody which could almost have come
from CBeebies as it rises up the scales.
The introduction of good percussion and synths add to the track and to
the diversity of the album.
Closing with Heretic’s Hymn, Double Dagger
again draws from Pixies and punk with a monster of a track apparently
celebrating participation “in the DIY scene as a spiritual experience and decries the
growing encroachment of capitalism on punk as blasphemy”. Who am I to argue? I do know it has some nods in the direction
of The Sex Pistols, and, a strangely calming bass interlude after just a couple
of minutes.
It’s an album of
diversity and overwhelming confidence, and, is a fitting epitaph to one of
Baltimore’s most influential bands.
7.5/10
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