Dither marks noticeable maturity for jam band moe.
By TIM BODONY
Scene Music Critic
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "dither" means to act nervously or indecisively. With regards to the new moe. album, either the guys in the band never bothered to check if "dither" was a real word after they decided to use it as the title, or they are exercising remarkable humility.
Truth be told, Dither is moe.'s most deliberate and mature recording to date. Having earned a reputation for its marathon-length live shows, the band now seems intent on proving its worth in the studio as well. This means placing greater emphasis on songwriting and inevitably calling in some violin players — or maybe even a DJ (moe. recruited DJ Logic, a frequent collaborator with Medeski, Martin and Wood).
Instead of returning to the same kind of intricate and abstract compositions that typified their early work, moe. has decided to economize.
Memorable choruses and captivating hooks, bundled into tidy four-minute packages, greatly overshadow the interplay between guitarists Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey that characterized moe.'s first records.
Nothing exemplifies this shift in style better than the band's decision to break with tradition and record a cover: the mid 80s hit "In a Big Country" by Brit rockers Big Country. This song has more hooks than a tackle box, with melodies and harmonies being deployed with pop-star proficiency — an approach totally absent from any of moe.'s previous albums.
Dither even contains moe.'s first ready-for-radio ditty "New York City," a romping quasi-Celtic ode to the endearing idiosyncrasies of the Big Apple. But fear not, moe. has not fully recast themselves in the mold of Matchbox-twenty. They still make plenty of space noises, and they still wear glasses.
Like the music, the lyrics on Dither show a movement towards a greater maturity.
Earlier songs evoke a comic book world filled with flying pigs, giant moths, and pinball machines that openly profess, "I can't tell the difference between/ my belly button or navel/ ping pong, pool cue, or a foosball table." While most of moe.'s lyrics still don't mean anything, one theme does manage to rear its head at various points throughout Dither — frustration.
In "Faker," bassist/vocalist Rob Derhak depicts the feelings of regret and weakness that come from just sliding through life, while "Rise" plays upon the unbearable impatience that one feels when confronted with even minor inconveniences, in this case, a flat tire.
The frustration is almost palpable on "Can't Seem to Find," the band's most serious lyrical foray into the ubiquitous topic of seeking a mate.
Love in the modern age has more competition than ever, or in lyrist Schnier's words: "They say that time will tell/ and that may be true/ but I can't seem to find the time to be with you." Such is the plight of the sensitive, jet-setting rock star.
Despite all of its virtues, Dither still fails to equal the group's epic 1996 record, No Doy. The chief ingredient of that album missing from Dither is Chuck Garvey. Arguably the group's most talented musician, and certainly its most identifiable singer, Garvey stays too far in the background on this record.
Derhak and Schnier penned all of the songs (except for "In a Big Country") and handle all of the lead vocals, leaving Garvey only a limited space in which to assert himself. But his fluid and lively guitar playing manages to rescue some otherwise mediocre tunes such as "Understand" and "Water," so his musical presence is not completely unfelt.
In the end, it is hard to believe that Dither comes from the same band that might jam on the same song for over an hour in concert. But the sleekness of Dither is all part of moe.'s master plan.
As Rolling Stone editor David Fricke once wrote, "The secret of great jamming is accomplished songwriting." Nothing encapsulates moe. better than this. The material on Dither never quite reaches the stratosphere, but instead provides a solid platform from which the band can launch its trademark improvisations. So to hear this record's full potential, go see moe. in concert.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, February 20, 2001
