It's a pretty impressive run, isn't it? I mean, 7 albums in 11 years is a pretty good clip, and sign of the prolific talents of Dot Dash songwriter Terry Banks (St. Christopher, Tree Fort Angst, Glo-Worm, Julie Ocean). Madman in the Rain is here, and it will be out as of this Friday on TheBeautifulMusic.com. It's a tight record, and one which is as much a showcase for songwriter/singer/guitarist Banks as it is in spots for bassist Hunter Bennett (Weatherhead) and drummer Danny Ingram (Youth Brigade, Strange Boutique, Swervedriver).
Opener "Forever Far Out" would sound nice on a mix-tape next to any of the up-tempo numbers from the most recent Death Cab for Cutie album as this one, like those, has a New Order-ish churn about it. There's a bit of Aztec Camera in "Space Junk, Satellites", even as the title cut very nearly sounds like an Oasis B-side in terms of build-up and pay-off. On this one, and especially "Animal Stone", it's worth mentioning how drummer Ingram modulates his attack. And, similarly, Bennett's bass playing on "Airwaves" is as much a fit for the tune as it is a tribute to Peter Hook. I mean, listen to this one and try not to think of "Age of Consent" or "Love Vigilantes", I dare ya.
For a band who get tagged power pop, Dot Dash continue to have a way with a mid-tempo number, and "Trip Over Clouds" is this record's gem in that regard. Terry's vocals are yearning and smart, while the melody subtly climbs atop the rhythm section's muted fury. It's a great track, as is the lilting "Saints/Pharoahs", another one with a sort of shift-up in tempo from verse to chorus. Banks is clearly broadening his style a bit, and while it's easy to pick out the things that clearly influenced him (like The Housemartins on album closer "Dead Gone"), his own talents as a songwriter are becoming sharper still. No one's trying to re-invent the wheel here, but within the confines of the indie-pop form, Dot Dash continue to innovate what can be done. I like to think that they, like me and hopefully many of those who read this site, place an artistic premium on the pop single. And it's high praise I can offer when I say that any individual track on Madman in the Rain could be pulled off the record and put in a mix of the kind of things you listened to as a younger person and you'd think you were hearing some lost gem from the Postcard label. That doesn't make Dot Dash a retro act, as much as a smartly adept one.
Madman in the Rain by Dot Dash is out on Friday via TheBeautifulMusic.com.
[Photo: me, Black Cat, D.C., 2019]