When
R.E.M. took the American underground music scene by storm in the '80s, an army of imitators were launched in their wake.
Dillon Fence is one such band. However, where
R.E.M. could be humorous, thoughtful, emotional, and even unintelligible (often within the same song),
Dillon Fence never manages to rise above pedestrian lyrics and uninspired compositions on
Rosemary. It's not that the band is particularly bad at what they do, more that there is no real spark of originality or energy on the disc. An ironic footnote:
Dillon Fence thanks
Hootie and the Blowfish in the liner notes for
Rosemary. In 1994,
Hootie and the Blowfish would take a very similar brand of bland pop-rock to the mega-platinum level with
Cracked Rear View, while
Dillon Fence never managed to progress beyond their regional popularity. ~ Robert Kaups