REVIEW: Fans Aren't Chuckling at New Dredg Album

by Rachel Sawyer

Once in a while, a band will release an album that drastically strays from their typical sound and guides them in a new direction. Dredg’s most recent Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy, released May 3, 2011, certainly deviates from their norm. From a band that usually composes organic, unconventional pieces, Chuckles introduces a manufactured, predictable sound through layers of repeating drumbeats, powerful bass lines, electronic melodies, and less courageous vocals. This album is experimental for Dredg, and many fans wish for the band to return to their roots and produce music that is closer related to their four previous albums.

Although Chuckles sounds more mainstream, typical Dredg aspects are still present. The opening song “Another Tribe is repetitive and hypnotic, but the content of its lyrics are reminiscent of their previous work; the satire of modern society is apparent in its lyrics: “He we go again / following all the trends / it’s become an obsession.” The fifth track “Down Without a Fight” is undeniably catchy and, even if the instrumentals were digitally created, exhibits an extensive knowledge of composition. However, this song seems much too predictable for Dredg. The eighth track “Kalathat” provides some rest for listener’s ears with an acoustic serenade that heralds back to older albums.

Chuckles also lacks other typical Dredg characteristics. It lacks the one-to-two-minute-long musical interludes that have appeared in three of the four previous albums and serve to connect the songs together in a natural flow. This album is well composed and listeners will certainly not forget the songs quickly; however, the songs off Chuckles don’t provide the same pleasurable listening experience that requires one to close his or her eyes and sing along—the quality that fans have come to expect from Dredg. One may even wonder if the same band that produced this album also wrote the powerful and creative “Δ” off El Cielo (2002) or the thought-provoking and ingeniously composed “Catch Without Arms” off the album with the same name (2005), as these pieces showcased Dredg’s incredible ability as musicians and writers of satirical and unforgettable lyrics.

In fact, it seems Dredg may have forgotten their own values in an attempt to please a larger crowd and produce mainstream music. The commercial aspect of music industry creates much pressure for musicians, but Dredg has always preached to keep music as personal expression and not an attempt to please the most customers, as is stated in “Catch Without Arms”:

“So sing about love / Sing about lust / so they will care, / It’s the same difference. / That’s what happens when you play catch without arms […] That’s what happens when you compromise your art.”