It hasn’t been an easy road for Dinosaur Pile-Up since their 2010 debut ‘Growing Pains’. With a revolving door policy that would make Spinal Tap weak at the knees, frontman Matt Bigland could have been forgiven for throwing in the towel long ago.
His second album, 'Nature Nurture', like the first recorded entirely by himself, is a display of his natural musicianship and songwriting ability. It's almost too much just for one young man.
Opener Arizona Waiting sets a high benchmark for the album. Musically, it’s a kickback to 1990s grunge but with plenty of guile and Bigland’s powerful, piercing vocals are reminiscent of the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. Derail, arguably the album’s stand out track, then highlights Bigland’s nous for writing infectious pop hooks. It retains the heavy guitars but the lighter verses and a delicate lead riff, in harmony with the vocals, are simple but effective.
Peninsula marries the qualities of the previous two songs. Grunge-inspired guitars drive it forward while catchy vocal melodies make the song a certainty for heavy summer radio play.
Bigland really displays his talents as a guitarist with some delicious Thin Lizzy-style mid-verse riffs and a blisteringly good solo.
The opening trio of songs epitomise the intelligence of the writing. Knowing when to play and what to play is as important as knowing when to hold back, and Bigland has nailed the balance to create some well-constructed music.
Heather and Summer Gurl keep up the pace and are very much along the same track as Arizona Waiting, before White T-Shirt And Jeans changes the tone. Staccato guitar riffs and a laid back rhythm give it a different twist compared to the previous songs, but it still retains a catchy chorus and a casual nod back to American pop-punk of a decade ago.
The Way We Came confirms there’s more than fast paced rock songs in Bigland’s arsenal. An acoustic guitar replaces the heavier tones, but great lyrics and his ear for a melody remain constant. The respite is short lived as Draw A Line recaptures the pace and attack of the first half of the album.
By the 10th song of an album, many bands ease off with filler but there’s no let up here. Start Again and penultimate track Lip Hook Kiss continue the pop rock assault on the ear drums. The former, like Derail, employs a simple but effective lead riff to accentuate the vocal melody, while the latter makes use of some emphatic drumming to thump its way to a climactic finish. Nature Nurture is a strong closer with a beautifully simple but no less effective chorus hook.
As much as there are references to and similarities with Bigland's influences, Dinosaur Pile Up have gone a step beyond simply replicating them. He's taken aspects of each to create his own style. With Band of Skulls producer Ian Davenport, Bigland has taken his desire to write “pop songs that kick you in the face” and made it a reality. Throughout, the album is finely balanced between the pop ideal Bigland strove for and the heavy, guitar driven rock that seems his natural style.
Tue July 2nd 2013 - NOTTINGHAM Bodega Social
Wed July 3rd 2013 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Think Tank
Thu July 4th 2013 - DUNDEE Beat Generator Live !
Fri July 5th 2013 - ABERDEEN The Tunnels
Sun July 7th 2013 - GLASGOW King Tuts Wah Wah Hut
Tue July 9th 2013 - YORK York Duchess
Fri July 12th 2013 - MANCHESTER Manchester The Ruby Lounge
Sat July 13th 2013 - LIVERPOOL Shipping Forecast
Wed July 17th 2013 - LONDON Cargo
Fri July 19th 2013 - BRISTOL Louisiana
Sat July 20th 2013 - BRIGHTON The Hope
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