DAVE? - THAT SPARK CD-EP

One of the most amazing bands that the Dundee Scene has ever produced is Dave? Amazing because, over the last three years, I've witnessed live gigs that took you way beyond mere ectstatic enjoyment, and I've wtinessed live gigs that just left you scratching your head as to what on earth path they're following. They've been unbelievably brilliant and simply unbelievable. But they've never managed consistency of approach, the steady climb from obscurity to recognition – until now. Their first EP was given a lukewarm reception when I reviewed it, but it actually improved a lot the more I played it (well, two tracks did - but I never change a review). However, on the evidence of recent concerts and now, this new EP, Dave? are, at last, on course, and ready for action.
Until I heard the opening track on this CD, a thought crossed my mind that, somehow, I'd never before realised – that Daniel, lead guitarist and vocalist, sounds like an angrier Scottish version of Bob Dylan. He's got that nasally intonation that, shorn of the American accent, really sounds distinctive, so that anytime you hear even a few seconds of the band's songs, you know instantly that it's Dave? - and THAT counts for an awful lot in today's music business if you want to climb that ladder. So, what of the songs themselves? Well, all four on here are gems – absolute gems. The CD opens with “That Spark” as a burst of stinging, searing guitar takes off over the strident rhythm section that lurches away before the guitar drops out and Daniel's vocal appears, intoning the song to perfection, before the vocal then drops, the pace accelerates, more guitar takes off and another fast-paced instrumental interlude bursts into life, a wordless chorus adding to the depths. This goes back and forth before the two parts meet head on and then the rhythm section drops out to leave this storm of wildly chording shards of electric guitar that convey so much emotion in such a short time, they put a lot of other guitarists to shame. The finale involves the band, the guitar and the driving rhythms and background vocals all combining to increase the intensity on an adrenaline-fuelled right to what then becomes a final few seconds of calm. It's absolutely stunning and the sort of track that is somehow both immediate and long-lasting enjoyment without ever once being what you'd class as “commercial”. If anything, that role is fulfilled by “What's His Excuse”, an altogether completely fast-paced piece that features a memorable vocal hook as chorus while the lead vocals are really delivered with a passion and strength that lets the story-telling lyrics right through and commands your attention. Behind a driving song, the band positively fly along with guitars everywhere, punishing drumming, pounding bass, the back and forth between lead vocals and harmony-filled hooks capturing your attention totally as the guitars blaze and the whole thing is this short, sharp supernova of indie brilliance. “Lay Your Head” decelerates the pace, but increases the intensity as the thickly riffing, ringing, chiming, solid electric guitar work gives the track so much depth you'd think there were about three guitarists at work here, and what that guitar is playing is, once again, so emotive and full of feeling, it totally takes you over. There's a dynamic quality to this song that shows that the band are great at arranging, as it twists and turns from furious to laid-back in the blink of an eye but, with the rhythm section fired up and dropping back, the vocals ascending and descending, it's an anthem that's spiky and wonderful, flowing and purposeful, and above all, simply a joy to hear. Finally we come to “This Is Not A Love Song” where the pace drops back with initial bursts of high-flying guitar, slowly lurching military drumming, deep bass and a soaring Dylan-esque vocal that intoned the simple two-line lyric. From there the guitar lifts off and the rhythm section swirl and drive before droping back to the decelerated vocal section, only they keep changing the shape of both sections the more the song continues, so that you're hearing the flow of the piece as subtle changes arrive and depart. A brief chorus out of nowhere allows the song to drop right down to a whisper of guitars and cymbals as the bass is deep at the forefront. Then Daniel starts the song up once more with a refrain of the lyric before the guitars erupt once more, the drumming powers up, the bass pounds away and the burst of vocal harmonies that provide the hook, make the whole thing take off once again. It's a work of absolute genius – elegant in its simplicity, emotional in its strength and powerful in its execution. But, overall, these are four tracks to treasure, the mark of a band well on the ascendancy and, if recent concerts are anything to go by, it's uphill from here – yes, Dave? have finally arrived – and things will never be the same again!!

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