by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Washington, DC's Dove Lady have already released one of the year's best albums in the form of One, but the band's alphabetical series of EPs must continue and we're thrilled to share the latest installment, E. The releases, which began with A back on Halloween in 2015, allow the duo to create with complete freedom (though One is pretty damn free too) and without pressure, an ongoing voyage into the depths of their elastic post-punk and experimental creativity. For them it's about accessibility. The alphabet EPs are all offered on a "name-your-price" scale and the band are embracing the idea of releasing as much music as they possibly can. E, due out this Friday, November 17th, is another example of Dove Lady proving to be one of the most exciting new bands.
Andrew Thawley (drums/vocals) and Jeremy Ray (guitar/vocals) really shine in the light of unpredictability. From the jazzy chamber-pop introduction of "DZ Theme" to the song's explosive outpour of jagged fury, the band weave back and forth between distraught melodies and loose time shifts. There's an undeniable chemistry between them, an impressive ability to sputter and spazz in perfect synchronicity. Dove Lady's songs rarely end in the same place they start ("Bonekeh" comes closest) but even as they hop genres and dismantle common structures, their brilliant sprawl feels exploratory and never self-indulgent.
"Can't Be Sad" draws from the bizarre side of post-punk with exaggerated effects and a guitar line that swings around like an open electrical wire. Ray's vocals match that intensity with bile inducing brutality... and then it subsides back into elevator jazz grooves and right back again into a new storm of surging distortion and pounding rhythms. Dove Lady take us to extremes and back again, pulling our senses in every direction with the greatest of ease. "Slapback" changes the vibe yet again, borrowing elements of hip-hop and soul, warping it into a swarm of staccato delay, and eventually a primal hardcore noise freakout. The band end on "Eye Against Eye," an improvised sound exploration that's as free as they get; manipulated tape, crashing piano keys, contorted vocals, and all the aggressive whirring noise you need. Best part is, we still have twenty one letters to go. Dove Lady forever.
Dove Lady's E is out November 17th on bandcamp.