Dispatch
Bang Bang

THE REVIEW

There are songs that make you fall in love at first listen, and make you want to explore more music from that artist/group you might have never heard before; that's what happened to me with "Here We Go", the opener of the second album by a band with a strange name, "Dispatch". The album in question is called "Bang Bang", released in 1997. With this review, I hope to encourage you to give this album a listen, in my opinion, one of the best of the '90s.

BUT who are these Dispatch, you might be asking? Well, although it seems nobody has ever heard of them in the Belpaese, in their homeland, the USA, Dispatch is recognized as one of the most important independent rock formations; they have never signed with a major label despite their popularity, and they even managed to fill Madison Square Garden in New York in 2007, in an iconic benefit concert. The group consists of Chad Urmston (guitar, vocals), Pete Heimbold (bass, guitar, vocals), and Brad Corrigan (drums, percussion, guitar, and vocals) and was formed in the Boston area in the early '90s.

Initially, the group was an acoustic trio, as demonstrated by their debut "Silent Steeples" in 1996, characterized by brilliant acoustic arrangements, beautiful vocal harmonies, and an excellent use of percussion. But it is with the second album, "Bang Bang", released the following year that the trio picks up electric instruments and decides to go all in. As in the previous album, melodies are a central part of the group's sound, but what shines are the arrangements, always original, diverse, and never over the top. Dispatch stays simple, they do not overindulge in technicality despite being excellent multi-instrumentalists, but they create a fantastic mix of groove and melody. Take, for example, the already mentioned "Here We Go", which opens the album perfectly: it starts slow, with some choral voices, then launches into an incredibly danceable main riff, and the song proceeds headlong, with the three voices blending perfectly, just like the instruments. And the following "Bats in the Belfry", with its reggae vibe and extremely catchy chorus and a good use of the sax, puts you in the right mood for the songs that will follow. "The General", "Mission", and "Railway" are along the same lines, but each has its uniqueness that makes it stand out: the fantastic anti-military lyrics and the most singable chorus of the album in "The General", the fantastic bass and vocal harmonies in "Mission", and the ska atmosphere, sax solo, and the bass (again, yes) in "Railway". The album also indulges in some acoustic numbers, with the title track "Bang Bang", a song perfect to listen to in a moment of peace and relaxation, while "Two Coins" and "Out Loud" are acoustic ballads, the latter closing the album and what can I say, it is an excellent closing for an excellent album.

In conclusion, if you like rock and are into reggae and funk influences, with the addition of excellent melodies and arrangements, give "Bang Bang" by Dispatch a chance. (And also the rest of their discography, they deserve it)