Apparently Vancouver-based punk band
Dumb are big on irony, because nearly everything they do betrays a genuine if often snarky intelligence. Their take on punk is arty and angular, as much about classic new wave as about fast and loud 4/4 stomp; if you could cross
Pink Flag-era
Wire with first-album
Devo and filter it through the mind of a twentysomething Canadian who reads a lot, the result might sound something like
Dumb on their third album, 2018's
Seeing Green. There's no shortage of energy and attitude in this music, which sounds suitably caffeinated, and the rhythm section of bassist Shelby Vredik and drummer Pipé Morelli gives these songs plenty of drive as well as stop-on-a-dime agility. But it's the back and forth of guitarists Franco Rossino (who also sings) and Nick Short that really gives this music its spark; spare melodic patterns face off against volleys of noise and squawking feedback, and the dissonance speaks just as eloquently as the clarity. The lyrics on
Seeing Green appear in short, sharp bursts, and they feel impressionistic as much as anything intended for literal interpretation. But the multiple inferences drawn from the word "green" -- envy, greed, and inexperience -- often inform the mood of these tunes, and though Rossino's message and delivery don't always scan easily, they're always compelling and mesh with the edgy, cerebral tone of the music.
Dumb's music is fresh, nervy, and playfully fearless, diving into the creative deep end without much worry about the consequences, and the band is literate without seeming pretentious or aloof. Jordan Koop's production gives the performances a clean, clear focus, and despite a lack of frills, the final product sounds as if nothing else could be needed.
Seeing Green is a remarkably accomplished effort for a band whose recording career is less than three years old, and
Dumb should find an audience with anyone who likes music that is smart, expressive, and challenging. ~ Mark Deming