Dover
The Flame

THE REVIEW

I stopped listening to pseudo-punk bands that do everything with the same three chords.
I have nothing against them, but I swear I've stopped.
I told myself, "Come on, there are so many territories to explore: post-rock, jazz psychedelia, art-noise; why are you still wasting time with three chords?".

I quit, like quitting smoking, so I have the right to one last cigarette... and I have the right to enjoy one last "three-chord" band. I chose Dover.

The Flame is the fifth album by the four Iberians, deeply loved in their homeland and almost unknown in the rest of the world. The four previous works are soaked in that alternative/grunge/stomping style that owes so much to Nirvana but, in the end, just a little.
As soon as track #1 starts (also the title track and first single, hooray for creativity), I'm a bit disappointed, but wait, have they also turned to the garage trend? Ah, okay... it was just an intro, the rest of the song runs like a train, but it's a train always in their style. The following "27 Years" and "Leave Me Alone" clarify the point; even though the drum breaks have become more frequent and the two guitars flutter a bit more than before, it is still their healthy adolescent alternative, stuff to pogo to, stuff to get drunk in the street and vomit on the sidewalk at 4 in the morning.

Why do I still like them so much?
By track #8, I understand the reason, and I come to terms with it, in fact (oh well, with no shame) I get moved: the raw and bare voice of Cristina Llanos has this strange effect on me, she screams and murmurs with the same anger inside; if you have never heard how much malice can be within a whisper, listen to "Someone Else's Bed" and perhaps you won't spit in my eye after reading this review.

Now that I understand the reason for my unhealthy passion for this little group of rockers from Madrid, I can also enjoy the rest of the CD, nodding my head to Die For Rock n'Roll, hopping with One Black Day, and finally lying on the carpet smoking the last cigarette with All My Money.

Had I quit?
I've changed my mind.