Thanks to the ever-gracious Charley Hine, I've had the opportunity to listen to the new six-track disc from Dualistics a handful of times this week, and I have to say it's really freaken good. I have publicly expressed my dissatisfaction with the band's live performances in the past, but if Hine and his bandmates - Scott Russell, Tyler Despres and the ubiquitous Jimmy Stofer - can reproduce the energy and complexity of this record when they release it at the Larimer Lounge on January 31st (with Mike Marchant, Corey Teruya and St. Elias opening), I'll be a convert.
Recorded with Mike Yach at Boulder's beautiful Immersive Studios, the diminutive collection - less than thirty minutes long - is jam-packed with crunchy guitars, catchy-as-a-coldsore melodies and some impressive instrumentalism. The lead guitar lines and solos -- which I assume are mostly Despres -- are the icing on this tasty cake. The overall sound reminds me of the early '90s heyday of radio-friendly alternative rock, recalling folks like the Pixies and even Faith No More. In fact, there's probably a special kinship between the latter and Dualistics since both love to artfully muddle up simple pop songs with impressive technical feats and gigantic layers of sound.
The question, as always, is whether the group can pull off their tricky parts while still connecting with the audience. I certainly hope so. Join me on the 31st at Larimer Lounge to find out. If nothing else, you can pick up your very own copy of this rather satisfying slab. In the meantime, sample the tracks on the band's Myspace page. --Eryc Eyl
