DBA! bounce around the worlds of restrained rock with ‘A Poet and a Clown’
In the social media digital age, it sometimes feels a little bit like we are all beings trapped inside a cage of our own devices, desperately wanting to get out.
That feeling isn’t obvious captivity, however, but it’s almost like spiders inside an upturned glass, where we are provided a false sense of freedom that quickly is snatched away when we try to push at it.
If you’re wondering what the hell I am getting at with this analogy, well, having listened to DBA!’s ‘A Poet and a Clown’ for the first time, I’ve discovered that there is a soundtrack for that exact feeling.
The fuzz-drenched riff and muffled vocals feel somewhat like the conflict of having all the energy required to let loose, while being contained in a tight structure that prevents you from getting out.
The funny thing is, though, in the context of this song, it’s a genuinely nice feeling. You want to bounce around the transparent walls that the rhythm section puts up, and go fully berserk within its walls to this infectious garage rock track.
It’s apt then that the vocal hook sings out “I don’t really mind”, for in the context of this enjoyable containment, and even the wider context of a desperately bleak society, “I don’t really mind” is as good a joyous exclamation as we’re likely to get.
Ultimately, there is a duality to this song that works perfectly: be it in the restrained release of the soundscape or the lyrical sentiment, which is displayed best in the song title, there is an evident fascination with the human conflict that feels captivating in the hands of the vocalist.
In many ways, it would be easy to label this feel-good garage rock, but DBA! show their songwriting chops with the breakdown in the middle section. Almost like The Rolling Stones’ ‘Midnight Rambler’, it turns down the pace and simmers down to a brooding chug. In doing so, the band adds a welcomed layer of tension to the song, which pops come the return to its normal pace.
It’s exciting to see where DBA! go with this model they’ve created. While certainly comfortable in the fuzz-drenched four-chord worlds of ‘A Poet and a Clown’, there’s certainly no denying that they could explore their experimental arrangements more and break out of their see-through cage.
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