When Dead Confederate released Wrecking Ball—their dense yet rollicking debut—in 2008, there were abundant comparisons to Nirvana and critics championed them as revivers of the grunge form. With this new album, however, Dead Confederate are taking a different approach. Less shaky, more self assured, Sugar channels Audioslave guitar wails via the raw power of The Stooges, dousing the songs with copious amounts of distortion. The album bounces back and forth from delicately pensive tracks (“Run from the Gun”) and bread and butter 90’s alt rock (“Quiet Kid” is equal parts Sonic Youth and Smashing Pumpkins). The album is loud, we’re talking My Bloody Valentine status, so it might serve as better company to a night of whiskey and mischief than it would, to, say, the resulting hangover. Regardless, the band has managed to step up the game and have crafted a stunningly vigourous album containing ten songs that will surely translate to deafening bliss in concert.
3.8/5
Dead Confederate - Run from the Gun [mp3]
Sugar drops today. Dead Confederate are currently on tour and will visit SF's Great American Music Hall on Wednesday 8 September with Alberta Cross
visit them on MYSPACE for more tour dates
3 comments:
Really enjoying the song you posted, Run from the Gun. This is admittedly my first listen/experience w/Dead Confederate - and I'm wanting to hear more. There is a 90's influence here (thinking more Modest Mouse and Malkmus then Nirvana), but also a 60's/Stones feel to this.
Thanks for this.
the song I posted is actually different from most of the album, and definitely different from their first one. their music is...unmistakably loud.
I'm so in love with this album, but I'm not as sure as you are about it being LOUD. There's a certain tenderness to the vocals and the instrumentation that shows the band's maturity on Sugar. It IS loud in places and those places definitely rock! But I'd not expect it to be MBV loud all the way through.
That aside, I really enjoyed your review, it's wonderful seeing people as on fire for this band as I am! I think we'll have to wait and see the live show to ultimately decide what Sugar will sound like, eh? ;)
xoxo,
Tart
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