The Dead C.* – Trouble

If you have heard The Dead C, either you appreciate what they do or you couldn’t care less about them Dead C have a record out and it’s a good one.

A little background for the uninitiated; The Dead C are a three piece that started recording in the late 80’s. They hale from Dunedin, New Zealand. They’re quite prolific, with more than 20 albums and EP’s to their credit. Not to mention numerous cassette, 7” and CD only releases.

The desolation of their home, on the other side of the world, leans to a sound that is both familiar yet foreign. Primarily know as an improvisational, lo-fi, rock band; their music is so much more than that. Once described as “white guy blues music”, that would only make sense if you had never heard any american blues music before in your life. Their sound is mostly guitar squall and loops ran through effect pedals, humming and buzzing, backed by cardboard box drums pounded from the other side of the room with unintelligible vocals mumbled under their breath. Yes, when I tell my friends about the Dead C record I got, they usually look at me with that same pathetic, nodding smile you give someone when they say something really stupid. But Dead C music just hits me right where I live!

The new one was recorded in the same, before hours nightclub, down the street and around the corner, that their last LP, ”Armed/Courage” was recorded in. As far as fidelity goes, this is actually one of their best recordings and has that empty nightclub feel to the proceedings. It does sound like it was recorded live, no overdubs, with only the recording tech and bartender in attendance.

With this album they hit a creative peek, spread out across 4 sides and 5 songs. Each side is an unedited stream of consciousness “improv” session that could have easily been broken up and edited down to 5 or 6 songs each. But it all ebbs and flows together, going from muffled amp buzz with the sound of the electricity moving through the cables, to over-the-top guitar point-counterpoint blasts that transcends what many seek but never find. The drums start and stop within the same song, changing beats at will. And just about the time it all starts to jell into a cohesive rocker it falls apart and morphs into a new exploration. Exciting and infuriating all at the same time.

This new record is being compared to their 1992 “Harsh 70’s Reality” 2LP. But other than both being double LP’s they really don’t compare. “Harsh 70’s Reality” was defiantly a high watermark for the band and worth owning but “Trouble” stands on it’s own as a great record. If you have panned The Dead C lately because of a clinker or two (Secret Earth, Patience) this new record will reinvigorate you for The Dead C.

One of the best LP designs I've seen. Nice thick gatefold to boot. Music is terrible - love it!