Can psychedelic punk exist? Does psychedelic punk exist? Dub Thompson seems to think so. Their debut album, the cheekily titled 9 Songs (the album consists of 8 tracks), seamlessly blends the two genres without sacrificing the cleanliness of psychedelia or the pride of punk. With its heavily Doors-influenced melodies and drum-and-bass fueled stomp, 9 Songs is sure to impress any music fan with a taste for a modern take on the past.
This is the closest incarnation to a psychedelic punk album one could fathom. The bright keyboards and synthesizers mellow out the crunchy, raunchy hardness of its guitar tone. To put it simply, this album rocks. There is a level of authority throughout 9 Songs that many artists fail to bring into fruition, there is a level of wickedness that many are afraid of stirring into the pot, and there is a level of humility as well, forsaking all self-righteousness for a bit of grimy fun.
However, don’t expect to be blown away by Dub Thompson’s poetic lyricism. While certainly not bad, they are cut from the punk cloth rather than the psychedelic one. However, it does not take away from the band’s powerhouse presence nor does it interfere with acknowledging their roots. In fact, I didn’t feel any sense of longing for a poetic soul-to-soul connection moment because I was too caught up in the album’s booming residence to really care.
With its members being only nineteen years of age, I expect big things to come for Dub Thompson. If they keep creating forward-thinking music that simultaneously pays homage to its ancestors while redefining the boundaries of previously hard-lined genres, they will make big waves. 9 Songs has the capability of being a game-changer in terms of genre expectations, and it is one of 2014’s most impressive releases to date.
9 Songs