Dixon Rose "To the Moon and Back"

As a music critic, it's easy to fall into the pattern of viewing all music through the lens of genre; this can be especially useful for writing about indie artists, or artists without widespread followers (for instance, if you like X, you'll love this group). But one of the pitfalls of viewing music this way is that we're often thinking about instrumental style more than we are about lyrics. A better approach is almost certainly to consider lyrical style in addition to instrumentation, but space does not always allow for such a process.

Enter Dixon Rose's newest release "To the Moon and Back." On its surface, it's at times metal, rock, and even some punk-sprinklings from time to time, but the lyrics take on a sweet, and at times, almost religious nature. The instrumental tracks are expertly played and the album has a polish that would rival the best of radio-ready-music. Rose's voice is very pleasing in that he's got a great range for those high-notes, wonderful tone, yet still raw enough to be accessible. 

"To the Moon and Back" opens with "Do You Care?" a gritty guitar-driven high-energy track conveying a deep loneliness (refraining on lyrics like "do you know how you make me feel?" and "why do they think it's OK?" Couple that with some low-frequency screaming and it's a great way to start an album - the listening experience propels us into the rest of the record.

Track #2 is "Forever You" beginning with languid/slow electric strums. Unlike "Do you Care?" this one maintains a ballad character.  The lyrics "You are the one who makes it right," lets us know that this is a love song - but like the spiritual poetry of the ancient middle east, we're left to wonder as to who the "you" is. Verse two features a lovely female singer (wish I knew who she was) which adds to the flavor of the track in great ways. 

On to track #3, adding to the religious language "Forsaken," as the others so far, begins with a very enticing guitar intro. The vocals on this are very simple (in a positive way) and seem to rest on Dixon's greatest singing-assets, a pure tenor with beautiful intonation in the upper register. I really enjoy the balancing act of intensity in "Forsaken," between screams and a blazing guitar solo. 

"One More Chance" is next in the lineup. The interplay between the bass and guitars is very satisfying for this one. Rose's voice is not nearly as affected in "One More Chance" as they are in the others so far, and that lends a particular honesty to the sound. On one hand, there's a grunginess to the sound, on the other, it's got a very orchestral quality with a modulation to a major soundscape in the chorus (it kind of reminds me of the Japanese rock band Mr. Children a la their "Bolero" album). 

Track #5 is "Wonder," which continues the ballad feel, but stripped down even more, from "One More Chance." This is a heartfelt song, the kind of tune that emerges from deep pain. "you leave me speechless and I can't take this..." comes right before the chorus. There's a simplicity to this track that provides a resting point for the listener; again, it's a stop along the journey that is the album "To the Moon and Back..." 

"Once Upon a Life" is the 6th song in the album - it opens with soft piano and pure-sounding female vocals supported by Dixon - strings make an entrance which creates a very nice diversion for the listener. It's very cool to hear this in the middle of an otherwise pure-rock album (see my comments about "genre" above). A soaring guitar solo, which seems to carry just as much pain as the two singers is featured between verses. I don't want to harp on this too much, but I'm in love with the lyrical vagueness of these tracks, like, are the singers singing to an earthly love, or singing to God?

Next up is "Perfect," and we're back to featuring male vocals - and makes use of industrial-style electronic drums with processed singing. It's a beautiful track that would almost come across as poppy except for the use of virtuosic guitar playing far in the background. Rose seems to have a gift for instrumental arrangement that goes beyond the rhythm section and the vocals being more chant-like creates for a peaceful mood that hasn't been present on the rest of the album. 

Track #8 is "Sorry," and we're back to high-intensity rock/metal but in ballad form. "I said everything I never thought I would" is a lyric line that most of us can relate to, and reemphasizes the title of the song. "Sorry," has an unbelievably catch-chord progression and the drum fills alone keeps the energy moving forward. 

The last song on "To the Moon and Back" is "Been Long." It's nice to know that Dixon Rose's literary style includes symmetry - as it's a great mirror, or another side of the coin of the opening track "Do You Care?" The lyrics for "Been Long," like the others on the album conveys a lot of regret. Perhaps, more than on any other song, we get a clear view of Rose's talent for vocal melody - catchiness coupled with unexpected changes and notes that seemingly would have been impossible to sing. 

Overall "To the Moon and Back" is the kind of work that comes from a place of deep introspection; and like that kind of soul-searching, it's not always comfortable, but always worthwhile. Anyone interested can find Dixon Rose at his FB page here, and listen to the album on Spotify here.