Showing posts with label dent may. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dent may. Show all posts
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Album Review: Dent May - Warm Blanket


Dent May's enticing crooning and syncopated rhythms were what grabbed the attention of his current record label, Paw Tracks, and sparked his musical breakout in the debut album, The Good Feeling Music Of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele. His latest venture into lofty psychedelic pop drifts away from his initial throwback aesthetic. Instead, the music on Warm Blanket focuses on sticky melodies and more refined instrumentals that are, for the most part, enhanced by May's simplistic vocal work. However, the struggle for this album seems to rest in the fact that May fails to demonstrate any considerable emotional connection to his lyrics.

Clearly, Dent May is no stranger to socially opposed oddities or discerning representations when it comes to his music, but it came as a surprise to learn his latest album was recorded inside of a supposed haunted house. The music created within the ghostly Florida compound is described by Paw Tracks as "A delightful mix of organic textures, analog synth squiggles, inventive vocal melodies, and sincere word play." While much of that statement holds true, such as the protruding synth elements, there is still a gross exaggeration when it comes to the sincere wordplay.

The first single from Warm Blanket delivers May's indistinguishable desire to have been born in a different generation, preferably the 70's."Born Too Late" is one of the few cases where the lyrics genuinely represent heavy-hitting emotion. May digs deep to discuss his personal conflicts with heartfelt lyrics of "Born too late to tell you that I love you, baby. It ain't right I don't sleep at night." Lyrically, Dent May is stuck in the past, often describing his dissatisfaction with modern society. It's in songs "Let Them Talk" and "Summer Is Over" where cleverly composed hooks drive the songs only to be squandered away by frail lyrics deeming the entire songs irrelevant and forgettable.   

If there's any hope for Dent May to change his viewpoint on today's current worldly situation "Ready to Be Old" would be its focal point. His lyrics are riddled with May's scanty optimism: "I think the future will feel much better than I feel now" If one thing is clear it is that Dent May knows that his strength is in addicting hooks and spot on vocals, however, his album also showcases the need for more complex, emotion driven tracks. 

Grade: C+





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Uncovered Cover - Dent May covers The Grateful Dead


Disco swallowed up everything in the late 70's.  Bands from every genre felt compelled to weigh in on the craze, some with varied results.  Led Zeppelin had a kickass number with "Trampled Underfoot", showcasing John Paul Jones on keys as the secret hero of the band.  On the other hand, the Rolling Stones rolled out "Miss You", a somewhat catchy hook soured by the realization that studio musicians were doing most of their heavy lifting (what else can you do when you leave Brian Jones floating in a pool?).  When the disco craze died down, or rather imploded in spectacular fashion, it took the world another 20 years to realize that disco didn't actually suck.  Some of the more famous dabblings from that era endure today, my favorite being The Grateful Dead's "Shakedown Street".  Mississippi based musician Dent May has released a rather faithful adaptation of the Dead classic, adding some light synths to complement one of the all time great bass lines.  Don't tell me you can't find a decent Grateful Dead cover, you just gotta poke around.




Brian Gorman
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Listener's Digest: Week of May 28


As a man of the people, I often ponder how I can save you (yes, you, sitting at your computer) time and energy while also keeping you up to date on new music. Thus, I have decided to feature some stand out singles/tracks released during the last week. This saves me time as now, when I meet with the people on the street, I don't have to update them on all of the great new songs I heard this week. Instead, I can guilt everyone with the wilting question, "didn't you read my blog post this week?" So, preamble aside, here are some exciting new songs to check out this week.

Dent May, "Home Groan:" The second single from Dent May's upcoming album, which will be released on June 12 through Animal Collective's Paw Tracks, "Home Groan" features the same lazy summer sound from his last single, "Best Friend." Bright belching synths accompany Dent May's dreamy vocals as the track drifts along. The full length may shape up to be the perfect summer album.



Ty Segall Band, "I Bought My Eyes:" On the other end of the spectrum is a new raucous track from Ty Segall Band. Ty Segall has been consistently releasing amazing records for a few years, and this new song, best described as "face melting," is no exception. The new album will be out June 26.



Beat Connection, "The Palace Garden, 4am:" Shimmering electro-pop from this Seattle band, this is another great summer track. I have a feeling we will be hearing more from this band over the next few months and I am excited for more. Beat Connection's debut album will be out June 19.



Summer Camp, "Always:" At this point, you should gather that summer is on my mind. These tracks all share a definite warm weather vibe and Summer Camp has given us a slightly faster paced song with a great propulsive beat. This song reminds me of the Human League and the last third is especially great. Summer Camp's new EP will be out July 9.



So, there you have it, exciting new songs from the last week. Check back next week to see if I am still on this whole summer kick I seem to be on this week.


Michael Torsell
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