Dot Dash - Proto Retro

by Tommy Gunnarsson

published: 22 / 2 / 2019

Label: The Beautiful Music
Format: CD

Enjoyable, nostalgic-rooted sixth album from jangly Washington DC group punk pop Dot Dash

Review

Hailing from the US capital city of Washington, Dot Dash consists of singer/guitarist Terry Banks, bass player Hunter Bennett and drummer Danny Ingram. They have previously played with a lot of names that you should more or less know if you are into the indie pop scene – for example St Christopher (a band that used to have their records released by iconic label Sarah Records), Glo-Worm (which featured Pam Berry of Black Tambourine and the Pines fame) and the Saturday People (a band that used to have records released by another iconic label, Slumberland Records). As Dot Dash, this is their sixth album, and compared to their previous long player (‘Searchlights’, 2016) this is a bit poppier and janglier, a direction that I fully support. When I first listened to the album, my initial feeling was that I was listening to an album released in 1983 or maybe 1984, produced by Mitch Easter (who produced the first REM albums, but also had his own brilliant band called Let’s Active). Therefore it comes as no surprise when I see that Mitch indeed produced Dot Dash's fourth album, ‘Earthquakes & Tidal Waves’ (2015)! Enough about the past. We are here today to deal with the band’s current effort, and I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised! I’m not extremely interested in indiepop released after 2010 (or maybe rather after the turn of the millennium), so when I do pick up a record in the genre that grabs my attention it’s something of a joyous occasion. Sure, some of the songs here reflects the band’s tendencies to rock a bit harder (they have, after all, taken their name from a Wire song), but mostly it’s really enjoyable pop songs on display on this disc. It reminds me both of the aforementioned Easter productions and the American indiepop sound of the late 90s/early 00s, with labels like Slumberland and K Records. Just listen to the album opener ‘Unfair weather’ and you will know what I mean…

Track Listing:-

1 Unfair Weather
2 Gray Blue Green
3 Dead Letter Rays
4 Parachute Powerline
5 TV / Radio
6 Tamed a Wild Beast
7 Triple Rainbow
8 Fast Parade
9 World's Last Payphone
10 Green on Red
11 Run & Duck for Cover
12 Sun + Moon = Disguise