The Dismemberment Plan may be associated with the DC punk and emo-core scenes, but with their layered keyboards (three-quarters of the members contribute) they are never what you expect. The uninitiated might take exceptio... more »n to singer Travis Morrison's voice, but his nerdy charm, lyrics, and falsetto tend to take hold, as legions of devoted fans will attest. Some might wish DP would remake 1999's Emergency and I; instead, they enlisted Emergency's knob-twiddler, J. Robbins (Jawbox) and expanded their songwriting. Tons of vibrant noise is thrown down and the rhythm section deserves particular kudos. In many ways DP are more jazz than rock at this point. But the sonic spectrum is so wide that the songs never sound crowded. Continuing the tradition of peppering puzzle-like structures with disparate influences (hip-hop, funk, punk, new wave), Change--though thoroughly modern--evokes some good bits from the '80s. There's a bit of the Police (drumming by Joe Easley), U2 (Edge-like rattle and treble-kick guitar), and Talking Heads (quirky, African-sounding rhythms), but it's all mixed with a buzzing excitement, an electricity that hasn't burned out but increased in voltage. --Cyndi Elliott« less
The Dismemberment Plan may be associated with the DC punk and emo-core scenes, but with their layered keyboards (three-quarters of the members contribute) they are never what you expect. The uninitiated might take exception to singer Travis Morrison's voice, but his nerdy charm, lyrics, and falsetto tend to take hold, as legions of devoted fans will attest. Some might wish DP would remake 1999's Emergency and I; instead, they enlisted Emergency's knob-twiddler, J. Robbins (Jawbox) and expanded their songwriting. Tons of vibrant noise is thrown down and the rhythm section deserves particular kudos. In many ways DP are more jazz than rock at this point. But the sonic spectrum is so wide that the songs never sound crowded. Continuing the tradition of peppering puzzle-like structures with disparate influences (hip-hop, funk, punk, new wave), Change--though thoroughly modern--evokes some good bits from the '80s. There's a bit of the Police (drumming by Joe Easley), U2 (Edge-like rattle and treble-kick guitar), and Talking Heads (quirky, African-sounding rhythms), but it's all mixed with a buzzing excitement, an electricity that hasn't burned out but increased in voltage. --Cyndi Elliott
Wheelchair Assassin | The Great Concavity | 10/18/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
""Change" may be filled with earnest, emotional songs, but it would be doing this album a great disservice to call it simply an "emo" or even "indie" album. The Dismemberment Plan's jazz-meets-rock-meets-pop style defies such easy classification. Instead the band stakes out their own niche with a combination of complex rhythms, endlessly fascinating melodies, and above all, rock-solid musicianship. In a sense this could even be considered math rock, owing mainly to the dazzling dexterity of the rhythm section. Joe Easley, especially, is a phenomenal drummer; in some songs he's basically playing extended solos. And the production makes perfect use of space, enabling the listener to pick up every nuance of the intricate arrangements. Supplying the feeling is lead singer Travis Morrison; although he does overdo it with the falsetto a bit, there's no denying that he puts a lot of emotion into his vocals. More than anything, though, what sets "Change" above the crowd is a diverse batch of memorable songs. The hard-rocking "Pay For The Piano" is doubtless one of the catchiest songs of the past few years, and "Following Through" isn't far behind. "Come Home" and the acoustic "Automatic" slow things down for a quieter and more reflective feel, while "Superpowers" just dispenses with the guitars and overwhelms you with layers of shimmering keyboards. "Time Bomb" and the stunning "Other Side" feature some absolutely sick rhythm work, proving conclusively that these guys aren't just another indie band. The good-natured "Ellen And Ben" even demonstrates a sense of humor, closing out the album with a witty tale of a hot-and-cold relationship. "Change" may be my first Dismemberment Plan album, but I can definitely see where all the praise for this band comes from. Now to get "Emergency And I!""
Dplan owns your soul....
Kate | Chicago, IL | 08/17/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Many bands have attempted to recreate the Dismemberment Plan's sound in the last couple years, but it's pretty hard to really do that considering the sound vastly changes from album to album. Emergency and I is powerful with lots of synth's and keyboards, and Change sounds almost like they recorded it the day after E&I when they were a little bit tired from rocking so hard. Is Terrified is more poppy and fun, while ! is more rock based with barely any synthesizers and a much rawer sound all together. All around, this album has a nice, relaxing, quality sound. All the lyrics to every song are amazing; the sequencing in this album is great too. Every song belongs where it was placed. Any Dplan album you buy is an investment you will not regret. An amazing band, one of my absolute favorites."
Amazing Amazing Amazing
Michael Yerdon | Syracuse, NY United States | 11/30/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of the album that just confuses me. I know that Emergency and I is considered the better album, and in many ways i can agree...it has those magic runanddanceandtellanyonethatwilllisten songs that continue to inspire me to this day. Yet to this day, I swear by this album, and this album alone. There are no real indie anthems on Change, no punk freak outs, few layed keyboards. But none of that really matters. The lyrics are astonishing, the songwriting tight, the chops incredible. Change retains the Plan's unabashedly original, confident sound, it just adds a little maturity to the mix. Not to be missed"
Great album
Matt Nielsen | Seattle, WA USA | 12/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I only heard a little bit of Emergency and I, but that little bit I heard didn't impress me very much. About a year later I was told that Change was very good. I was a bit skeptical since I wasn't too fond of the previous cd. But nevertheless, I listened to a few quick clips off Change. It sounded ok but you can never really tell with those 30 second samples. I ended up buying the album, and am I glad I did. This record is the most sophisticated yet basically simple album I've heard in years. The tracks that really jumped out at me are "following through", "pay for the piano", "secret curse" and "the face of the earth". This album is fantastic...buy it."