THE DAWN BAND (Agents Of Sentimentality) CD
With the debut album of THE DAWN BAND, Elektrohasch Records again prove that they are not only focused on heavy psych rock. Formed by Hainloose drummer Daniel Zerndl and Martin Treppesch, THE DAWN BAND feels quite at home in the land of alternative and post rock, but on closer inspection, it becomes apparent that they have more to offer. Actually it's not easy to pigeonhole their sound and that is generally not a bad thing. The music creeps up on you, and while it seems at first to be rather simple and pleasant, there's a great deal more going on here that unfolds and presents itself upon repeated listens. This is one of those truly indespensible albums that defies genre classification. It grows on you with each listen, and steadily makes more and more sense.
The first thing you notice is that 'Agents Of Sentimentality' is an incredibly relaxing listening experience, even when there are some heavy and loud riffs as, for example, in the opener 'Love Is A Burglar'. It's obvious that THE DAWN BAND do not stop at musical borders, and very often they blur the lines between different genres. In this context it's not wrong to use the term 'progressive', but nonetheless the music comes from the stomach. Despite it's dream-like quality, 'Agents Of Sentimentality' is very earthy and it feels like a day on the beach. The instrumentation is rich and varied, ranging from acoustic guitars and synths to hammond organ and glass harp. There are also some female vocals on 'Boat Across The Ocean' and even Elektrohasch/Colour Haze boss Stefan Koglek is also involved as a background singer in the same song.
THE DAWN BAND knows how to create dynamic song structures and I appreciate the level of attention paid to every small detail on this album. The emphasis here is on subtlety, and nothing is forced or imposed. According to that, the vocals are equally sublime and subtle, giving the music the needed oomph to push it all the way across. But there is also enough room for instrumental tracks and here, too, emphasis is placed on freshness. Overall, this is a completely engrossing album that took several immersions before I comprehended its depth and distinction, but it was certainly worth it. 'Agents Of Sentimentality' will silence you....it's somewhat melancholy but in a beautiful-rainy-day sort of way. It's subtle, it flows, it makes me happy.
(KK)