Duenow
If You Could Only See What They Are Doing to You

(Sound)

First Appeared in The Music Box, December 2004, Volume 11, #12

Written by Brad Podray

Somehow on its debut recording If You Could Only See What They Are Doing to You, Duenow managed to straddle perfectly the fine line between abstract indie rock and overblown indie pretentiousness. Six Packs, the first actual song on the album, is an eye-opener that merges folk-influenced guitar with a fast, jabbering rap, while the rest of the effort chugs along in an LSD-infused, Dave Matthews-inspired haze that frequently exhibits the ambience of a country-and-western coffee shop. In particular, Sneeze features falsetto vocals that just scream of Matthews’ influence. This is not necessarily a good place to reside, and for the most part, If You Could Only See What They Are Doing to You is slow-paced and inordinately dull. Any semblance of variation among its tracks is limited, and though the collection is well-produced, by its conclusion, the songs seem formulaic — so much so that each tune feels like a mere mutation of its predecessor. There are a few exceptions, such as the clever, jazzy moments that are scattered throughout the album, but these, too, are nothing special. Granted, in comparison to a lot of cheaply derivative, mainstream folk-rock, Duenow could claim to be more original, but that’s not really saying all that much either.

Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2004 The Music Box