4 Stars Dredg Catch Without Arms (Interscope)
It is said evolution is crucial for survival. Assuming this is the case, the ape-like foundation of Dredg will have reached its most refined state yet on June 21. Its new album, Catch Without Arms, retains that classic Dredg feel and ambience, yet is the result of progress for a band that has spent a decade on the road while in between recording studios.
Dredg's first Interscope release, "Leitmotif," kicked the proverbial door down in 2001 and rushed Dredg into the music scene.
While making quite a ruckus with the underground kids, "Leitmotif" failed to find itself on the playlists of most critics.
2002 saw the release of "El Cielo," Dredg's most artful work to date, grabbing the attention of both music fans and critics. Sadly, the album never reached the hands of a mainstream audience. After three years on the road, Dredg has now readied its latest offering, which finds the band entering yet another state in its artistry.
Catch is a very engaging piece of art. There is no way to describe the album while serving it justice. While Dredg is considered a rock band, there are many instances on the album that seems to suggest otherwise - that what Dredg is giving is not just a collaboration of sounds, but a collaboration and offering of the band members.
Not often can a band deliver the whole package, but with this release, Dredg comes very close, and it's refreshing.
Buttressed with beautiful, subtle lyrics, artful and intricate guitar work, a trance-like vibe that consumes the listener, and climatic climbs that explode with exceptional timing, Catch might be just what the jaded music listener needs.
This is a band that politely declines the status quo, yet does so with grace, beauty, and confidence. Mere rock music, Dredg is definitely not.
"Bug Eyes," a track that Dredg previewed on its myspace.com account, is possibly one of the most energetic and refreshing singles to hit radio since the turn of the century. This track exemplifies the brilliance and surrealism that Dredg musters on Catch.
"Bug Eyes" opens with a shrieking buildup that breaks into audio bliss at 00:17. Subtle percussion keeps the track in time while singer Gavin Hayes sings, "We have been trimmed down like hedges/ Told just to sit and wilt and spit at each other from a distance."
"Planting Seeds," the eighth track, also testifies to the lush landscapes Dredg paints on Catch.
It starts with a hypnotic guitar riff, then a steady beat puts things in order, and finally Hayes' voice enters, but not as alien to the music, rather as an inclusive layer of velvet sound.
On the low end, bassist Drew Roulette adds his own flair to the song with a funky bassline that somehow keeps everything together.
In short, Dredg will do your ears well, and Catch Without Arms is a must-purchase this summer.
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