Dropsonic "Insects With Angel Wings" (Rowdy)
By
Friday. Aug 19, 1:12 AM
Absolutely indestructible.

After three long years, Atlanta's Dropsonic have finally unleashed the follow-up to 2002's Belle with Insects With Angel Wings, their fourth full length (and their first for Rowdy). And damn, is it worth the wait!

This is music by and for people who are disgusted with the modern dribble that's being passed off as “rock.” The nods to Led Zeppelin are positively obvious, but the music is churned out by guys young enough to have cut their teeth during the ‘90s. Dropsonic can swagger like a Shiner, be burly like a Jesus Lizard, and epic like a Radiohead.

As anyone who has experienced the ferocity of their live shows can attest, the musicianship in the band is top notch. Bassist David Chase and drummer Brian Hunter make up the tightest rhythm section around, and vocalist/guitarist Dan Dixon has a superb chord vocabulary and an exceptional talent for playing leads (and let me just say here that NO guitarist should even bother soloing unless you can pull it off as well as Dixon does here). Dropsonic's sound isn't as "no frills" as their approach. They strip rock music down to its very essence, but they're also here to remind you how far that spectrum can reach.

Recorded by J. Robbins, Insects… hits you with the meaty goods first. The first four songs pummel you not just with volume and attack, but also with swing and groove (I simply can't stress enough how unstoppable this rhythm section is). Dixon occasionally doubles some of his guitar tracks with an acoustic guitar, giving depth and richness to the mix. The album takes a pleasant turn with "It Makes No Difference" and "The Big Nothing," two ballad-y tracks which recall late Beatles or Stones or even early Radiohead in their more grandiose moments. The fire is turned back on with "I Hope it Rains on Your Wedding," which has the anger and spit of Fugazi with dissonant guitars that snarl their way through the song's jarring main riffs. The epic "Headless" shows off their Georgia roots, starting with a couple of Stones-ish verses and gradually rolling into a reckless Southern Rock-flavored outro, before winding down to just a single delicate acoustic guitar.

This is easily one of the strongest rock records to come along in years. If you've been wondering where the current unsung heroes of classic-styled rock and roll are, look no further than Insects With Angel Wings.

Dropsonic are absolutely indestructible. And this record proves it.
www.dropsonic.com

Jason Smith

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