Motorcoat - Dame Dynamite

Motorcoat

Dame Dynamite
self-released; 2016

​3.5 out of 5

By Mike Pryzgoda

The new EP Dame Dynamite from Motorcoat is a barrage of grunge-y psychedelia with interesting songwriting.

​The best song is “You’re Here but You’re Over There,” an alternative rock take on a country waltz. It’s sneaky, bluesy, has a lot of grit and isn’t afraid to pause the instruments for the vocal interjections. There’s a Minutemen quality to the track. “Frosted Blues” is also very strong.

Built around modulated electric piano, it moves into punk-like fervor thrashing around while a melodic bass line anchors the voice. After a big hi-hat flourish there is an interesting duet between the electric piano and guitar before the band takes off into an epic guitar solo that earns its length with searing tone and passion.

“Storms In The Eyes” feels MGMT inspired. It moves from stop-start chord movements to more momentum with funky bass, well-placed vibraslaps and burpling sound effects.  An atonal guitar solo over a psychedelic Jimi Hendrix Experience-esque rhythm section finished the song along with reverbed yelling. It’s all the good kinds of weird.

The closing track “Blade Dance” uses a spaghetti western bass line as its base while the song moves up and down in energy from edgy punk to psychedelic blur.

The only track that doesn’t work as effectively is the opener “Harlem Dope King.” After Shaft-like wah-wah guitars, a disjointed hi-hat joins in but the drums never seem to find the groove. The guitar breaks near the middle are nice, but the rhythm section feels a bit sloppy.

Coupled with the fact the song goes on for quite a long time without a lot of development and a second movement that doesn’t feel a part of the first one, the song could use some editing and perhaps another performance to get it on par with the quality of the rest of the EP which is quite strong.

Become A Fan

bandcamp

Tweet