If ever there was a band whose albums demanded more than a single listen, it's
the Schramms. On first spin,
Dizzy Spell sounds like a pleasant, well-crafted bit of folk-leaning pop; play it a few more times, let it sink in, and you'll find it's a remarkably intelligent, expressive, and compelling album that becomes more satisfying each time out.
Dave Schramm was not blessed with the finest voice of his generation, but give his craggy, conversational timbre a chance to register and you'll be amazed at its range of nuances, and his lyrics manage to be both witty and genuinely poetic without sinking into pretension. More importantly, he's a superb guitarist who knows when to gently support a song and when to reel off a solo that's full of dexterity and fire. And with
George Usher on keyboards,
Al Greller on bass, and
Ron Metz on drums,
Schramm has a band that's solid and expressive but knows their first responsibility is to serve the song. And on
Dizzy Spell,
the Schramms offer up a dozen songs well worth hearing, particularly the bizarre suburban romance of "Wild Season," the remembrance of lost love of "Tell Me Again and Again," and the wistful, reflective title cut. Evocative, compelling, and seasoned with plenty of great guitar work,
Dizzy Spell is a superb, criminally overlooked album that was one of the most pleasurable releases of 1998.