30 years after their last full-length album, Team Dresch are set to release Furthermore on September 18.
Furthermore contains 12 genre-fluid tracks, which aren’t quite my cup of tea, but they are a cup of tea that I can tolerate. It brings an enjoyable DIY sound, with an old-school vibe. It’s as if the album is made to be a record.
It kicks straight in with One Song, which they previously released as a single. You’re greeted with clear narrative through the lyrics, and a quick-paced pop punk instrumental backing. It’s a song that introduces the album well, as it’s one of the stronger songs on the album. I then enjoyed the introducting riff of Growing Underground. After that, something began to feel a little off. It was enjoyable, perhaps lacked a bit of texture.
It hit me during I’ve Really Become Some Thing. I think my issue with Furthermore is with how the songs are mixed. The song seemed to have set out to be a bit heavier, and it felt empty. Which I think washed over the other tracks a little. I felt like the mixing was quite disproportioned, that even with distortion, it felt weak. There needs to be a bit more emphasis on bass and drums. They are the backbone of tracks, easily missed but still important.
Though I quite enjoyed I Won’t Tell. There’s a strange mix of surf rock and skater punk within the melody. It’s a sound that, in theory, doesn’t work… but actually, it works really well. I liked the strangeness of it.
Another thing I am fond of with the album is that you can almost feel the bond of the band members. Not only can you feel the friendship, but they do just seem like regular people playing music because they want to play music. There’s no ulterior motive, no greed to be the best, most creative, sound you’ve ever heard. Just a group of people who came together to express themselves through music.
Furthermore is a good album, with potential to have been great. September 18 will be a very exciting day for fans of Team Dresch.