The Dismemberment Plan

Change (DeSoto)
by Tim Den

I just don’t get The Dismemberment Plan. I’ve tried for years, but still I only see them as a slightly-pompous bunch who reference random musical influences (Mary J. Blige? Public Enemy? Steely Dan?) in an attempt to paint themselves as more than a quirky indie pop band. And that’s all they really are: Quirky. Weird little melodies floating here and there on top of slanted beats, trying to mimic an art school Dave Matthews vocal tone on top of pseudo-drum’n’bass patterns. Intriguing? Yes. Annoying? Definitely. Over-hyped? Don’t even get me started… Sure, no other indie pop band has tried so desperately to incorporate funk beats into their repetoir… but seriously, the vocal hooks just aren’t as potent as everyone seems to think. Anyone could name-drop Cole Porter, James Brown, hip hop, and Led Zeppelin if they wanted to. But at the end of the day, you gotta prove that your songs are just as good. Unfortunately, as diverse as The Dismemberment Plan have tried to be, they’re still just a conglomeration of jangly guitars and placid melodies.
(PO Box 60932 Washington, DC 20039)