Review: Dikembe | Mediumship

First impressions can be tricky. Dikembe's debut EP Chicago Bowls, our introduction to the Florida-based emo foursome, memorably rechristened certain stars of the fabled mid-'90s Chicago Bulls championship squads with weed-related surnames, and -- to our knowledge -- the songs had little to do the EP's quasi-theme. That thematic dissonance detracted hardly at all from the music's inherent quality, and so the short stack helped establish the act as one to watch in the underground. The ensuing first full-length Broad Shoulders [review] followed a similar sonic template but eschewed the goofball song-naming scheme, to thrilling results, although Dikembe now bemoans what it calls a lack of cohesiveness to the set. And so, with its titanic second full-length Mediumship, the band aimed to craft a front-to-back, real-deal album, one that felt of a piece all the way through. The record is a resounding success.

The LP's book-ending tracks provide a tidy framework for the triumphant collection. "Even Bother" and its counterpart, the towering album highlight and closer "Throw Lips," each commence solemnly, respirated by sparsely strummed guitar and fronter Steven Gray's world-weary vocals. By midsong Gray and Co. are reeling, firing in all directions while propounding a propulsive beat amid the din. While the two songs rely on similar dynamics and structural elements, the latter is hardly a retread of the former, as the amazing chorus of "Throw Lips" touts brilliantly overlapping vocal lines. But both songs are among the heaviest hitters on an album replete with bangers. Sure, dynamic songwriting is hardly a new development for Dikembe -- indeed, they routinely cover loudQUIETloud standard bearers Pixies in their live sets, as they did again this past Sunday at Great Scott in Boston -- but the Floridians have never before wielded their guitar attack with such devastating focus.

A re-recorded version of early Dikembe track "Donuts In A Six Speed," which sits in the final third of Mediumship, provides an interesting benchmark for analyzing how far the band has come. The original recording, from a four-way split released by Count Your Lucky Stars, feels two-dimensional when contrasted with the new version. On Mediumship, and especially live, Dikembe's explosive performance creates space in which the guitars feel especially cutting, the fill-heavy drumwork from David Bell particularly vital.

Indeed, in a live setting the band's sharp shifts in volume and tone transpire with twice the intensity. The band opened its show Sunday with Mediumship's gritty lead single "Hood Rat Messiah;" the tune's steady build to its shout-along chorus neatly distills the sound that characterizes the entire new record. The show ended with the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?", but not before graciously dipping into the aforementioned back catalog, all of which elicited appreciative cheers from the assembled throng. The performances were terrific, but hearing cuts from Mediumship within the context of favorites from Chicago Bowls and Broad Shoulders made plain just how much the band has elevated its game with the new collection. Mediumship was released by Tiny Engines earlier this week on 12" vinyl and as a digital download, both of which can be purchased right here. The entire record can be streamed via the Soundcloud embed below. -- Dillon Riley

Dikembe: Bandcamp | Facebook



Previous Dikembe Coverage:
Introducing Clicky Clicky Live / Here's Episode 1 Featuring Dikembe's Steven Gray Today's Hotness: Dikembe
Clicky Clicky's Top Songs Of 2012: Jay Edition
Review: Dikembe | Broad Shoulders

Introducing Clicky Clicky Live / Here's Episode 1 Featuring Dikembe's Steven Gray

This is our 2,000th blog post... thank you, thank you... no, really, you're too kind. Anyway, we had really hoped to have something special lined up for post number 2000, but we didn't have high hopes. But then it just so happened that this inaugural edition of Clicky Clicky Live slid right into place. And there was much rejoicing. We're extremely excited about this feature, in which the Clicky Clicky brain trust will interview the hitmakers of the day about what's happening right now out there in indie rock. The cool thing is that the interviews happen live on the Internet, and if you catch the link in time, you can see us work our magic without a net, as it were. And then the interviews are archived, and we post them right here. Cool, right? Staff Writer Dillon Riley was our first man with the baton, and he had a virtual sit-down yesterday afternoon with Dikembe fronter Steven Gray. Clicky Clicky holds the indie punk heroes near and dear based on their terrific debut EP Chicago Bowls and powerful first full-length, Broad Shoulders; that record's "Not Today, Angel" was one of our favorite songs of 2012. Dikembe is slated to release later this summer a sophomore set titled Mediumship via Tiny Engines, which we think will make a lot of waves given the underground's warm embrace of emo records of late.

Mr. Gray told Dillon yesterday the band is particularly excited about the new collection because it was envisioned and created as a whole; whereas Gray feels Broad Shoulders sounds like a bunch of songs just slapped together, he states the new set isn't something that listeners will really want to skip around in. Mediumship has got a beginning, middle and end, and hearing Gray talk about it made us that much more excited about it. Two songs are already in the wild, the mid-tempo rager "Gets Harder," and the prettier and more pensive "Hood Rat Messiah," and both can be streamed via embeds below. But first, turn your attention to our interview above. Gray also talks about trying to keep his rocker secret identity on the downlow in the workplace, obstacles and bonuses when it comes to touring, and the general vibe of the major annual Gainesville punk festival The Fest. Clicky Clicky is super grateful to Steven and Tiny Engines for assenting to the interview. Dikembe plays Boston's Great Scott July 20 with Weatherbox and New City Ghost, which is right around the corner, so you'd best get yourself ticketed. And while you're in a mood to part with your dollars, pre-order Mediumship right here. Just last month Dikembe released via Tiny Engines a split with The Jazz June, and that is certainly something you'll want to check out, too. Dig it. And keep your eyes open for more Clicky Clicky Live segments very soon.

Dikembe: Bandcamp | Facebook





Previous Dikembe Coverage:
Today's Hotness: Dikembe
Clicky Clicky's Top Songs Of 2012: Jay Edition
Review: Dikembe | Broad Shoulders