During strong emotional moments in our lives, good or bad, we have difficulty putting our thoughts together in any clear way. Words get jumbled. There is feedback from the adrenaline rush to the brain. There is frustration that distorts reaction, causing the mind to jump from subject to subject, playing back all the moments that fed into that specific situation. It casts doubt, pushing our minds to wonder if just one thing had been done differently, would it change the outcome being experienced. In retrospect, events never seem as momentous as they do as happen, but our minds still recreate many of those same feelings. It’s the beauty of catharsis, the build up and release that frees us emotionally. On Dig Up the Dead, Christopher Browder explores the mind’s experience in an audible way.
Dig Up the Dead kicks off with the title track that has Browder’s distinct vocals being slightly further back in the mix and a slight echo to go with the words. There is room for everything to breathe, much like when we’re looking at a situation in retrospect and find our words echoing and playing over and over again. “Blackest Sky” and “Not My Blood” follow with the fuzzy guitars and distorted vocals that make up the backbone of the album. It’s a change for Mansions, but one that fits well. In place of vocals backed by acoustic guitar and solid drumming, we have a consistently strong rhythm section, fuzzy guitars and distorted vocals on many songs. There is an earnestness to the slight quiver in Browder’s vocals that endears listeners and makes the songs feel susceptible. It’s a beautiful contrast to the muscle the songs exhibit.
“City Don’t Care” is more subdued, but still has a pulsing drum beat that propels the song. It deals with the feeling of being lost in a big city, something universal, but specific in its exploration. The rest of the album continues strongly with two of the album’s highlights in the latter half.
There is a hint of reverb in place of distortion in “Seven Years” that sits well within the song’s context. There is a closeness and an immediacy to the song that draws the listener into the demons Browder is struggling to exorcise. With the repeated question of, “Will it be me and me alone?” we find ourselves asking the same questions Browder asks himself. It’s a song with a lot of big questions, but full of self-assuredness. The album closes with “Yer Voice.” It’s a superbly-executed exercise in meshing the sound of all the music Browder has created to this point in his career and a powerful finish to an excellent album. The song sees him relishing the work that he has had to put in to reach this point and realizes he is better off because of the tumultuous moments he has experienced, because he has reached his position because of honesty and sincerity. The song and album close with the lyrics “And the one thing that I need is the dreams back in my sleep, where they belong/I’m where I belong, you’ll see/This means everything to me.”
Having an artist confident in their craft and their position is a tremendous experience and leads to important art. Christopher Browder hasn’t had an easy trek in the music industry, but with his talent has persevered to create one of the most engaging albums of the last couple of years and has earned all the success he will achieve with Dig Up the Dead. It’s an album that is a quick listen, but is full of earworms and important topics. It’s easy to recommend to anyone, no matter their musical preference and I recommend you listen as soon as possible.
(Click the album cover to be taken to the Mansions site to order or download directly from the band.)
The Downtown Brownie 