When a band is put to bed, often the sundry talents involved don't survive either. Gratefully, in the case of Dime Store Prophets' demise, front-man Justin Dillon Stevens is still going strong, and his new sort-of self-titled EP refutes the obituaries.
The remarkable thing about Stevens is that he is single-handedly covering styles of music that most Christians have curiously avoided. What's more, he does it exceedingly well. His influences are wide-ranging (most are), but he doesn't wear them too closely on his sleeve. A careful listen to his disc reveals the impact of bands and artists like Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, Kinks, Weezer, Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, The Beautiful South, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Joshua Tree era U2, Morrissey and The Smiths, and the granddaddy of alternative music David Bowie. Obviously, there are others, and it would be fun to pick his brain about them. Fans with an Apple Computer can insert this enhanced disk to watch a video on this subject as well as others. (Unlucky PC users will have to wait for the The Phantom Tollbooth interview.) Regardless, Stevens takes the best of what he's learned as an avid listener of such great bands and articulates his own fresh sound: a sort of fresh, contemporary spin on older works worth repeating.
This EP is a wonderful postcard from an artist with an eloquent poet's heart and features some wonderfully descriptive and thought-provoking lyrics. All of which are delivered with Stevens' uncommon, yet distinctively pleasant voice, which is akin to a breathier, warmer variation on Petra's John Schlitt's vocals. The musicianship is top-notch, and even shows growth from his previous work with DSP, as well as more stylistic variations. The low-fi production proves the budget for this project was less than his last one with DSP, but feels more accessible as a result. In fact, in just about every way this little album is an improvement over the underrated Fantastic Distraction. Buy it, and we'll keep this esteemed musician in business for a few more years. For that we can all be grateful.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Aaron Thomas PierceWaking up one morning and checking my e-mail I was delighted to hear of the release of this new album from singer/songwriter/guitarist Justin Dillon Stevens, formerly of Dimestore Prophets. Upon its arrival and within the first few chords of "mud in your eye" the trip that I had been leaving for when it arrived was mysteriously postponed. Lyrically, this album is thought provoking and is very…
