By Henry Lipput
Madman in the Rain (The Beautiful Music), the new album from Washington,
D.C.’s own Dot Dash, is a jangle-filled, melodic treat and the long-awaited
follow-up to the band’s most excellent 2018 Proto Retro.
What have they been doing during the time between the albums?
Well, if you follow any of the Dot Dash social media feeds, you know they’ve
been touring and performing, probably playing songs from Madman in the Rain and
no doubt giving audiences a thrill with the new sounds (and they're touring behind the album as well).
One of the highlights of listening to Madman in the Rain is
the extremely clean mix. Producer Geoff Sanoff (he also plays keyboards on the album, occasionally
channeling his inner Steve Neive) proves that the trio of Terry Banks (guitar
and vocals), Hunter Bennett (bass), and Danny Ingram (drums) are equal partners
in the band’s sound.
Another highlight is the clever lyrics. On “Airwaves” they use
a word that gives you the (correct) impression that here is a thinking man’s jangle:
“So goodbye and good luck/I hope things turn out alright/Where you’re going/In
the gloaming/In the night.”
“Trip Over Clouds” has both some wordplay and Joan of Arc: “Joan
of Arc/I put the fire out/But beware of sparks/It’s a lost art playing Name
That Tune/While you’re whistling in the dark.” Both “Space Junk, Satellites” and
“Tense & Nervous” have references to songs by The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Everything but the Girl, The Cars, and The Knack. “Tense & Nervous” also tells
the story of a wild road trip: “Caught a ride on a whirling tornado/Ending up
in Juarez on the way to Laredo/How did I get here?/ How can I get back?/To
Candy-O and Get the Knack?”
