Have you ever been on AOL Instant Messenger and been prompted to download an upgrade? So you download the upgrade and install it and quickly find that the new version is virtually identical to the old version. This is what I find with Dogwood's new album Matt Aragon.
Right on the heels of their last album Building a Better Me, one of the best punk rock albums released in recent years, Matt Aragon is a quick attempt to pick up where Building left off. What I found upon listening to the two albums back to back is that they are virtually identical, but with two differences: Building a Better Me is packaged better and has more music on it.
Once you put aside comparisons to past Dogwood and put Matt Aragon up against other recent punk rock efforts, you will quickly see that this is an album that can hold its own.
Truth be told, there are many good songs on this record. "1983," the album opener, talks about childhood dreams versus reality. "Lonely Road" is a song about the choice to follow God. "Ballad of Hope," the closing song, states that we have hope that He is on His way.
Musically, this is melodic punk music with a gruff-sounding (as opposed to annoying-sounding) singer. In fact, vocalist Josh Kemble may be the best voice in this vein of music right now. "Nothing Is Everything" rocks out. The lead on "Lonely Road" is pretty cool as well.
All in all, this is a good album, but I don't see much progress from the last Dogwood CD. Maybe if they'll wait a couple years before releasing their next album, we'll see more of a musical progression.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis 2001Reviewed by ChrisThis is Dogwood's 6th full-length record (the first was released in 1996) and their 3rd on Tooth and Nail Records. They are often said to have the "Fat Wreck sound" though in recent years have taken a slightly more progressive turn. As a long time Dogwood fan, I would normally be eagerly awaiting this release. But after hearing their last album, "Building a Better Me", the word "eager" doesn't…Art for the Ears 2001Reviewed by Marco PovervestBuilding A Better Me, Dogwood's last record was an enjoyable effort. I still listen to it from time to time. Energetic poppy punk. Power pop punk. Matt Aragon is in the same vein. First of all, Matt Aragon is a real person who's described as 'our man in Amsterdam' and 'the super glue that has held Dogwood together when we got tired'. Got tired? These guys must be joking! You can't imagine it when…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Kerry MaffeoNot even a year has passed since punk-rockers Dogwood released Building a Better Me and already enough material has been collected and compiled to form their latest offering, Matt Aragon. Drawn from an aborted attempt at a 'punk musical' as well as songs written between October and January 2000, this album is a scattered blend of curiously melodic and signature tracks. The album opens with a…Similar sounding releases
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