Birmingham-based rock group Dumb are clearly appreciative of ’90s rock. Yet whereas some groups attempt to emulate specific movements – such as the rise of Brit-pop or punk-tinged alternative – Dumb are able to cohesively combine several styles. They merge the raucously fun, party-filled frontman allure of Oasis with a more angular guitar attack reminiscent of The Pixies and Built to Spill, where emotive vocals and guitar bursts provide both a plethora of hooks and ’90s rock atmosphere. The first line on their new track “Two Bottles” reinforces the Oasis comparison: “Two bottles of the cheapest wine can turn easily into the morning light.” But after that, it’s primarily a flexing of more exciting ’90s alt influences with a contemporary edge, more in the vein of acts like Built to Spill and Pavement, who pay attention to their riffs more than the tabloids.
After the quaint 30-second intro subsides, heavy guitar riffs and energetic percussion increase with intensity over anthemic vocals. This leads into the infectious chorus, where the vocals emit a growling sort of passion over more melodic backing vocals that repeat “over and over again” at just the right spot. One more go-around of this chorus confirms the track’s excitement, and loose definition as an ode to the most anthemic and infectious alternative-rock tracks of the 1990s. Dumb provide a blast of nostalgia for, particularly because ’90s alternative was one of the first “scenes” I became engrossed in. Good stuff.
Check out Dumb’s other single, “Super Sonic Love Toy”, below, in addition to the video for “Two Bottles”:
