May 3 is going to be a special day for dredg, with the launch of the first round of headlining tour dates (along with The Dear Hunter, Balance and Composure, and Trophy Fire) and the release of their Dan The Automator-produced CHUCKLES AND MR. SQUEEZY on Superball Music.
The songs on CHUCKLES AND MR. SQUEEZY are largely based in rhythm, some of them heavy on loops, an influence clearly drawn from Dan, clearly evident on tracks such as “Upon Returning,” “The Thought of Losing You,” and “The Ornament.” Although the tones and pacing shift as the album progresses, the songs all fall under the category of what singer Gavin Hayes calls “dark pop.” “The Thought of Losing You,” driven by a surging guitar riff, achieves emotional depth through simplicity rather than over-complication while “Upon Returning” pairs rough-edged guitars with Gavin’s ambient vocals that soar in juxtaposition with the grinding instrumentals. A shadowed mood hovers under the music, lending a sense of pensive introspection to the songs, but in the end the album emerges as a beacon of optimism.
