Dr Chan | Squier
Family Average: 5/7
Lets get it fellas! Another day another release from Stolen Body Records! Todays magic maker is Dr Chan. THE DOCTOR IS IN THE BUILDING EVERYONE! It should be no surprise to anyone that Dr.’s make great musicians. Look at the greats like Dr. Dre, and our very own Dr. Serge. Anyway the good Dr Chan has cooked up a real treat. An album that’s attitude can only be summarized by this video of a man riding a guitar like a skateboard. What did the family make of all this mischief?
Dr. Chan made beer come out of my nose.
I was not even drinking beer at the time. I was sitting at work at nine this morning when I put the album on. Next thing I knew it this poor boy was spraying out suds like a tap. All of that really happened by the way. Only true stories on this blog. True stories, tears, and sex appeal.
What we have here is an unabashed screaming festival of fun. Loud rock and roll jams about, drinking beer, being broke, and girls. Takes me back to the early FIDLAR tunes. Not to say this is some kind of re-hash. Nah, no way. There is a lot of fresh blood on this album. There is also a heavier pop influence in the structure of most of the tunes.
The stand out track on this album for me is “Girls”. It comes around as this perfect storm of all the things on the album that I love. Put me in the backseat of a car where this is blasting, and let's drive to a Wendy's.
5/7
Dr. Chan brings us a soundtrack for some light vandalism and drinking really, really cheap beer.
Disillusioned youth, hello my old friend. Teen angst, Peter Pan syndrome, acronyms; this album is chock full of adolescent RAGE. These guys may not be adolescents, but you catch my drift -- they want everything and nothing, they want to get loud, get messy, steal a stop sign, and complain. A classic garage band that delivers a youthful, pop bend of garage grunge with a straight punch to the neck. It's ripping with energy but feels somehow sort of lackadaisical; they're not taking too much thought and they're not here for our approval.
The garage sound is familiar, if not predictable, but makes for a good listen. It's got a sort of California skate band influence, and even some moments of '60s influenced psych guitar and arrangements -- a saving grace that doesn't make it just another garage band of DIY noise and angst. It often disintegrates into tangled guitar and crashing drums, with a rowdiness that reeks of teen boy sweat and glue. Yeah, glue.
Overall, it's irreverence and playfulness is engaging. They'd put on a wildly fun live show, no doubt -- complete with much moshing and showers of PBR.
4/7
Dr Chan serves up high-energy, groovy psychedelic punk with a twist and it had my mojo going.
I like this music, it is a mix of James Bond 60’s music crossed with a punk sneer. The first few tracks were a little slow, but by the middle of the album I was a fan of the crunchy guitar riffs and catchy lyrics which encourage you to sing or chant along with them. I believe that they could make for a sensational pub band, but the pub would have to be big enough to have a mosh pit and lots of barrels of keg beer. No bottles here.
Overall, this is a “good time” band who seem like they really like playing music for a lively audience, while drinking pint after pint and generally having a rousing good time themselves.
6/7 hereyougoblokes…..
The kind of sound you’d expect from a dimly lit mosh-friendly venue with bright white lights illuminating the stage.
Gotta admit, definitely not what I was expecting from the album cover. That said, I can dig the messy English garageband kinda vibe they’re going for. This is an example of where distorting the sound so it sounds like it was recorded on hanky equipment adds to the aesthetic rather than hides imperfections. The vocals have a lot of personality behind them too. The singer’s not afraid to get a bit shouty and it combines well with the gritty style of the band.
It does take a bit of time for the album to pick up steam though. The first track is a bit by-the-numbers and predictable. By the “Empty Pockets” you’re starting to hear stuff that’s new and more attention-grabbing. The singing gets faster and there’s a more unique beat to it. The next couple songs keep it fresh with a variation in tempo and energy. “TDKNC” is one of my faves, got a real head banging feel to it, and the singer really gives his all in this one. “God Hates You” in contrast is one of the slower ones, but it’s still some good shit.
It’s a step above your standard fare for messy grunge rock music. It’s got some merit and some individuality, but does have room to grow.
5/7