Death From Above 1979 is a band that takes the bare minimum
and turns out extraordinarily interesting and remarkable creations, and Heads Up! is no disappointment. From two
men and their instruments comes an incredible and unique sound, frenzied and
relevant. Their songs and style are not complex, composed mostly of thrashing
bass riffs, pummeling drums, and heady melodies, yet in their expression and
delivery, the six songs that compose this EP come to mean everything.
DFA’s unique sound and style are epitomized in this EP. The
fact that they have removed such a standard instrument as the guitar out of
their mix, and yet are still able to maintain and consistently kill an
energetic punk sound is simply incredible. Jesse Keeler creates rhythm and
melody simultaneously with his bass, fully invalidating any arguments that
their low-end-driven sound is missing something. Indeed, the little guitar
moments wedged between songs on Heads Up!
Seem almost to be pittances, mocking little scraps thrown to the standard rock
sound.
Every second of the fifteen minutes of music on this EP is
brimming with energy and exuberance. Jesse and Sebastien seem to have
compressed their entire metabolisms into this record, leaving nothing unsaid or
unfelt by the listener. Each song is fast, catchy, and danceable, and yet
chaotic in the distorted and crashing clamor that defines this band’s trademark.
The vigor inherent in the music of this EP is so strong and apparent that one
might mistake this for a collection of live recordings. Indeed, the
parenthetical at the tail end of the title of the third track, “Do It! (Live),”
seems misleading, since it sounds just as “live” as the rest of the record. The
ferocity and honesty of these recordings is incredibly truthful in its energy,
making Heads Up! a debut that
completely captures and expresses the truth of Death From Above 1979.
Both musically and lyrically, this record is relatively
simple—yet such simplicity goes a long way. The music is straightforward in its
presentation because it is straightforward in its purpose: it makes the
listener dance. Sebastien’s drum beats create a pounding rhythm that constantly
invites participation from the listener. In fact, many of the songs feature the
sound of someone clapping along with the rhythm, which is no doubt what happens
when DFA 1979 plays these songs live. This minimalism is further personified
with great effect in the lyrics, which are more often than not straightforward
statements or questions. In “Dead Womb,” Sebastien very blatantly rails against
the party-girl image so many women portray with the words “We’re looking for
wives/So tired of sluts/Coming to us in the clubs with their cocaine.”[1]
In “Losing Friends,” words are not wasted as the same accusation is spoken
against men: “You’re not grown men/You’re just kids playing.”[2]
The lyrics of this record are presented without pomp or fanfare, acting as
austere statements of truth. Fused with Sebastien’s passionate and catchy vocal
melodies, these poignant and honest lyrics become anthem-like.
Although the writing exhibited on Heads Up! is rather unadorned, it never leaves the listener bored
or restless. Death From Above provides a very unique sound on their EP, and
this individuality is reflected in the structure of their songs. For the most
part, DFA 1979 avoids the standard
“verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge/solo-verse-chorus” formula in the six songs
that make up this record. While the songs do generally repeated sections, their
arrangement in each song is different, avoiding the standard structure of most
songs and therefore affirming that Heads
Up! is anything but standard.
The innate and unabashed honesty of this EP is something
that really drew me into it, and that beckons me to return to it so often.
Every song churns so wildly and artistically that it can’t be anything but a
true expression of the artist that is Death From Above 1979. The band is very
aware of their identity and what they want from their music, and in fifteen
minutes they give the listener nothing but a pure draught of themselves. In the
words of Jesse, “We’re just making music and you happen to like it.”[3]
This truthfulness of expression that the music on Heads Up! undoubtedly bleeds only sharpens this already intense
listening experience.
As it stands, this EP leaves a monster impression upon the
listener without even trying, a statement from a band rejecting fanfare or
flamboyance in order to do exactly what it wants. Death From Above 1979 smashes
their instruments to pieces in every song, not to astonish or impress, but
simply because it is what they do. The music is easily appreciated by both body
and mind, being danceable and listenable without exception. With Heads Up!, Death From Above 1979 picks
you up off your feet and launches you into the heights. How you make it back
down is up to you.
Tunes to Check Out:
1) Dead Womb
2) Do It! (Live)
3) Too Much Love
Tunes to Check Out:
1) Dead Womb
2) Do It! (Live)
3) Too Much Love
Incredible album artwork as well
ReplyDelete