For almost
ten years now, the music of Death From Above 1979 has captivated me. Both their
debut EP and first full-length, albums which have provided me both with some of
my favorite bass riffs as well as an inspiration for my style of playing, remain
in heavy rotation in my car’s CD player. Their signature brand of dirty,
bass-driven dance-punk had me hooked from the get-go, and so when The Physical World, their first new
release in almost a decade, dropped in September, I scrambled to get my hands
on a copy. My longstanding addiction to all things DFA left me with high
expectations for this new record, but as usual, the vivid and authentic
thumping of this band is more than enough to give me my fix.
Though The Physical World and its predecessor You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine may be
separated by years marked by animosity and stylistic exploration, that gap has
only served to add a distinctive maturity to this duo’s already incredible
sound. Jesse Keeler and Sebastien Grainger smash against each other with the same
vigor they had in their 20s, making two instruments sound like a thousand and
kicking crowds into a frenzy. Songs like “Government Trash” and “Always On” are
tumultuous with slash-beats and tremolo picking for the lover of punk, while “Cheap
Talk” and “Trainwreck 1979” spin out dance grooves catchy enough to make TV
commercials and mainstream radio. Most importantly, though, The Physical World lacks none of the
original sincerity and insanity with which I became obsessed—every note and
scream is honest and hectic, pure and purposeful.
The sound
captured on The Physical World is
ridiculously diverse, ranging from punk madness to dance pop and touching every
point between those two poles, making it harder than ever to pin any genre
label on this band. In an interview with HungerTV,
Jesse remarked that “in its essence we are a punk band….but we know that what
we do is not rock ‘n’ roll, it’s not pop, it’s not R‘n’B. Maybe it’s easier to
identify what we’re not than what we are.”[1] As The Physical World shows, whatever genre they’re exploring, DFA
dominates it. Their sound is so resonant and full, it is remarkable they are
only using three instruments to make it. As Jesse puts it, “There are two
things that play notes in our band and that is the bass and Sebastien’s voice.
Then there is a drum kit where the drum sounds come from. We have to get our
creativity across and make a song with these few pieces.”[2] No matter what sonic
direction these two decide to follow, it is distinctly and unquestionably Death
From Above 1979.
Pivotal to
this band’s crunchy sound is unique bass work Jesse F. Keeler’s. Keeler takes
on the monumental task of covering rhythm, lead, and harmony with one
instrument, yet there is no sonic void left by his playing. His riffs are
driving and inventive, far surpassing the routine approach to the bass: his
compositions explore the entire length of the fretboard, his fingers running
through complex sequences and riffs with ease, intermingling occasional chords
in songs like “White is Red” or that miraculous screeching feedback in the
intro of “Gemini.” Jesse’s fluency in his instrument is remarkable, so much so
that producer Dave Sardy had to ask him to “play…without sounding like [he’s]
showing off.”[3] Despite his outrageous skills and approach,
he maintains the tone and feel of a bass guitar, so that even his highest highs
have the resonance of the low register. Despite encompassing the sonic
responsibilities of at least three people, Jesse always finds a way to make the
bass the most interesting instrument you’ve ever heard, and his playing on The Physical World is no exception.
The music
on The Physical World is largely
bass-driven, but it is the tight drumming and elaborate vocal work of Sebastien
Grainger that molds these pieces into cohesive and vivacious songs. Grainger
abuses his drum kit, bashing cymbals and skins alike in beats that are
technically challenging without being noisy—even his thunderous double bass in
the album’s title track fits easily against the rest of the composition. His
vocalizations, ranging from sweetly sung melodies to throaty screams, add yet
another level of intensity and intricacy to the tunes. Both his drumming and
his singing feel heartfelt and headstrong, and it is simply fascinating that
Sebastien is able to breeze through both parts simultaneously.
The
vivacity in Sebastien’s vocals extends into his lyrics as well. Ten years after
the last DFA release, Sebastien has a new and mature perspective on the world;
his 20’s are over, and so much of the writing on The Physical World reacts to this change. In songs like “Virgins,”
he takes a wistful look over his shoulder at the insane and inane times of his
youth, while in “Government Trash” he acknowledges that “Nobody knows anything at
twenty-one.”[4]
Sebastien’s musings extend even into the philosophical as well. In “Right on
Frankenstein,” he playfully ruminates on the ideas of life and death, and how
they are not entirely exclusive statuses. His closing statement of “lightning
strikes the body / and that is life to most,”[5] a call to embrace every
moment, is as much for himself as his listeners, because he understands that a
life half-lived is equal to death.
In an
interview with Exclaim, Sebastian
asserted that “If you want to be in a band, you have to believe in yourself
completely….You must tell the world you are The. Best. Band. You cannot survive
otherwise.”[6]
Despite a decade away, Death From Above 1979 proves their hiatus has no hold on
them, stomping their way back into the world and brandishing a new record that
is, to the say the least, explosive. The
Physical World booms with the integrity and energy that
only these two could create, and that alone is well worth your attention.
Tunes to Check Out:
1) Right On, Frankenstein!
2) White is Red
3) Cheap Talk
Tunes to Check Out:
1) Right On, Frankenstein!
2) White is Red
3) Cheap Talk
