Dredg – Chuckles And Mr. Squeezy – Review

In music, reinvention is always a dangerous game to play. Few bands are more up for a game of Career Russian Roulette than dredg. Making such a dramatic change in your sound can sometimes lead to acquiring new fans who like the new sound. The same can also alienate long-time fans who have enjoyed the band’s body of work up to that point. Time can only tell what the result of their latest transformation will bring them. Being around for nearly two decades, they have two EP’s and five full-length albums to their name. In the beginning dredg was largely inaccessible to casual music fans. Their brand of thoughtful, progressive alternative rock that alienates a lot of people is what made them so great. While they have changed so much since the beginning, it has been a graceful and gradual change. On an album that I assumed was some kind of joke after seeing the album art and title, Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy shows the band’s most severe shift of their career. Unfortunately, it is not a change for the better and for the first time in their long history, dredg have spun the chamber and found the bullet.

Producing the effort is Dan the Automator. He produced two of my personal favorites in Head Automatica’s Decadence and Gorillaz’ Self Titled album. He is known for producing hip hop and dance pop for the most part. He brings what he is best at to Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy in heaping quantities. One can’t help but question the choice of producer for a band who hasn’t even dabbled in any similar music to that of what’s on Dan the Automator’s resume. His influence and areas of expertise shine through far too brightly on the album. I am someone who enjoys dance pop for the most part. I just can’t get behind dredg’s attempt at it. Rather than adding his touch to a dredg album, Dan the Automator has completely bogged down an album with out of place synth beats and dance hooks. They have always featured a little synth and sometimes are heavy on electric effects but those worked perfectly for them. Most confusing given their past albums is the complete absence of guitars on most tracks. Tracks like the lead-off “Another Tribe” and “Down Without a Fight” epitomize the transitions made on this album. In a way they epitomize what is wrong with the album as well. The former starting off with a gangsta rap beat that sounds comical alongside the voice of singer Gavin Hayes. The latter having a techno beat atmosphere that just clutters up what seems like an otherwise solid effort.

There are a few select tracks that save the album from being a complete waste. “The Thought of Losing You” sounds like it wouldn’t be too terribly out of place on Catch Without Arms. It’s one of the few tracks that only show subtleties from the producer and is much more true to their roots.  “The Tent” is a modern take on Dark Side of the Moon era Pink Floyd. With a repetitive chorus that is so hard to deny no matter how underwhelming the rest of the song may be.

There’s an oft-told adage about the fluctuating climate here in the Midwest. “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes”. I suppose similar can be said about a dredg album. If you don’t enjoy it, just savor the incredible back catalogue until their next reinvention. One can only hope they haven’t finally found a sound that they want to stick with this time around. [Andy Young]

Score: 1.5 (out of 5)

Release Date: May 3rd, 2011
Record Label: Superball Music
Genre: Progressive Rock
RIYL: Minus the Bear, Gorillaz, Pink Floyd

Track Listing:
1. Another Tribe
2. Upon Returning
3. The Tent
4. Somebody is Laughing
5. Down Without a Fight
6. The Ornament
7. The Thought of Losing You
8. Kalathat
9. Sun Goes Down
10. Where I’ll End Up
11. Before It Began