It’s a cold and blustery Sunday up here in the Twin Cities. It has me not wanting to leave the house and even putting tonight’s show in jeopardy because it’s just so dang cozy in here with my four cats. Sure, I may be feeling a bit lazy and maybe just got up from an epic two-hour nap, but there’s still a lot of day left. I’m not sure that my mind will be changed as far as leaving the house or not, but I am sure that I can fill the next couple of hours with checking out some new music, and that seems like a perfectly delightful way to spend my Sunday. I have a lot of music to review, so let’s jump right in and start with ‘Jaguar’, the new EP from Chicago’s dASHDOWN.
‘jAGUAR’ starts with the grit-filled “Rock & Roll Healer.” The grit can be a bit biting at points throughout this song, but it perfectly lays out dASHDOWN’s signature sound. There’s a slight roots undertone to the grit, but the thing that really steals the spotlight when it comes to this opening track is the rock n’ roll heart. It’s no-frills, not fancy; it’s raw and dirty in all of the right ways and proves that this duo is paying homage to bands of years gone by while also making it clear that they have their own signatures to throw into the race as far as timeless bands go. At just under three minutes long, this song feels short and as if the band could have expanded on some of the thoughts and plans laid out in this opening track, but have no fear; we still have three more tracks to enjoy when it comes to this EP.
“Capes” comes at you with a bit more sensitivity rather than brash grit, and that shines a light on the whole other side of dASHDOWN, which is truly lovely. This song is slow and steady but far from boring and quiet. There are dynamics hidden throughout this song that help drive the lyrical content of this gorgeous song home. Figuratively speaking, this song’s biggest and loudest line is, “And we all wear capes…” I know that’s such a simple statement, but I love how this could be interpreted in many ways, and the other words in this song allow you to drift into your own cape. Another short song, dASHDOWN, allows you to get lost in a slightly grungey rock n’ roll world with this track.
I hope you didn’t get super settled into the more tender side of dASHDOWN with “Capes” because the band completely changes everything as this EP moves onto “Holograms.” This third song seems to thrash around in a bit more of an intense matter than the previous songs. Sure, it still has dASHDOWN’s signature grit and almost roots-inspired undertone, but “Holograms” hits and hits hard. Throw in some power chords to really drive the point and power of this song home, and you are left with one of those songs that leaves you feeling validated and triumphant in a very strong way, all the while looking for those “gypsy eyes.”
This all-too-short EP closes out with “Shiny Things” which seems to split the difference between the tenderness of “Capes” and the intensity of “Holograms” while adding an almost Americana tone to the mix. It reminds me a bit of 90s alt-rock with some of the movement happening in this song, but it also feels too innovative for me to put this track in that box. Think the Replacements but with a shot of Jameson to pair with every PBR drank at the CC Club in Minneapolis. It’s dirty like the previous tracks and definitely has a carefree attitude behind it, but it has this soaring power about it that makes this track a perfect exclamation point to a wonderfully powerful EP.
Whether you find yourself leaning a bit more into the roots world of things or prefer your rock n’ roll to be heavily dirty and even with a little spark of Americana, ‘jAGUAR’ from dASHDOWN is the album for you. Heck, dASHDOWN is the band for you. This is not their first release and surely won’t be their last, so if you like what you hear here, make sure to check out some of the other material they have out there!
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