Dilip n' the Davs - 'Together'
A wise man once told me that music is like when going to a buffet.
You don't just eat the bread rolls- you
gorge on the whole lot and try some of everything. That wise man was Dilip
Parekh- the acoustic guitar wielding lead singer of Fremantle based reggae band
'Dilip n' the Davs'. The Davs are a
seven piece band made up of a variety of talented musicians. With Andrew 'Blew
Drew' Pring on melodics and harmonies, Edo Ekic on lead electric guitar,
Jonathan Brittain on trombone, Marie O'Dwyer on keys and harmony vocals, Bob
Ferrari on bass and Rowan Parekh on drums and percussion the bands lineup is
incredibly impressive. I first saw the Davs at my favourite place in the world-
Fairbridge Festival and they really impressed me with their live performance.
There's so much potential for things to go wrong when you're live- especially
with seven players and no click track- but these guys nailed it- and I'm
pleased to say they backed it up in the studio. 'Dilip n' the Davs' album
'Together' is brand new, and absolutely wonderful. As you guys know- I love
Aussie bands and I get especially excited when the bands have lyrics that show
their love for Australia, and the Davs must have known I was coming, because
they are absolutely all over it which made me very happy. :) Now I'm not a huge
fan of reggae in general- but I'll listen to anything once and you should too
because this is a damn good album. The songs are all quite lengthy for the most
part but you don’t even feel it, and the album goes past altogether too fast.
Time flies when you’re having fun!
The record opens on 'Thick or Thin'. It launches you straight into the world of
the Davs mellow brand of reggae and really sets up the entire album. The horn
parts are fantastic- really great especially the trombone solo towards the end.
It's the perfect track to make you super excited for the rest of the album.
Next up is 'Nine Days'- a really great track which I enjoyed a lot. It's super
upbeat and I feel like a lot of FIFO workers would probably be able to relate
to this song a lot. Again, it opens with a cracking horn line, Jonathan has
done an amazing job at arranging these parts- if you ever want another sax
player- you guys should call me! Standing out for me are the vocal tracks.
Honestly, they're really great and I can't get over how well Dilip and Marie's
voices blend together so well! It makes the entire album super enjoyable
because it just works. Dilip has a super unexpectedly smooth voice that I just
really dig. Also take note of the cool airport voiceover and also the crazy
breakdown!
'Reggae Gone' is my favourite track on the album, it's a really great upbeat
song with some really good lyrics. I love the mentions of different places the
band obviously likes to frequent, including an Isolated Nation favourite Mojos!
I love how they've teamed together different layers and speeds between the
verses and chorus. Goes from really slow to very fast and it keeps you guessing
and interested. None of the songs are the same, there's always something
happening which makes it a really good album.
'Nannup' is written about Nannup Festival and slows things down a little more
to that traditional super chilled out reggae feel we all love. Oh- and there’s
some SWEET percussion at the opening of this track, as well as an excellent
trombone line throughout the songs entirety. Occasionally The Davs have used
some freaky effects on the vocals, just a super whacked out delay. It really
works and totally adds to the atmospheric feel of this chilled, laid back
track.
‘Like a King’ is also a very slow and relaxed song. The chorus is slow and
haunting, and is one that gets stuck in my head a lot due to the simplicity and
effectiveness of it. Accompanied by some great guitar sounds, this track is
basically a vocal showcase, showing how versatile Marie and Dilip really are.
Next up is the longest track on the album- ‘Look What Happened’. It’s nearly 8
minutes long, which to be honest for reggae is usually the standard. It’s
punctuated regularly by the trippy vocals of Dilip maxed out on effects and
some smashing horn lines. (Can you tell I adore horn sections??). What’s really
great about this track are all the crazy sounds and the way everyone gets a small
section to show off their talents, if you will. There’s entire sections which
are completely free of vocals which can be a little risky, but in this case
really works and just adds to the vibe of the track.
'Mollie' is up next and the only criticism I have is for the vocals in this
song- they're not bad at all, don't get me wrong. I just feel like they sound
American? It almost sounds like they're singing about 'Marley' which I thought
was perfect and hilarious because obviously of 'Bob Marley' and I thought that
was great. But it's actually 'Mollie'. That's the only issue I have and even
that is just being picky, and now I feel like a terrible person. This song is
happy and joyful sounding with a wonderful feel and is the Davs tribute to a
new addition to their reggae world. It’s reminiscent of ‘The Little Mermaid’
with that really happy gorgeous sound. It’s a dance-around-your-room kind of a
track.
Winding down the album we have ‘Too Funky’ a very horn driven track, which of
course I loved!! I love the vocal style of this track, it’s hard to explain but
it’s really cool and, well, funky!! It’s super easy to get into and sing along
too which is great.
The penultimate track is ‘Yokohama Girl’ and once again we have picked up that
fast upbeat pace the Davs shine in. I love the back up vocals on the chorus,
they sound super sweet and they really compliment the lead vocal. Wonderful
songwriting!
'Lookin' At Ya' is the last track on the album and I think it's worth
mentioning that this song was actually picked up by Qantas as a song that will
be included as part of the 'Global Beats Music Channel' in-flight
entertainment. It's really wonderful that an unsigned, indy Freo Band managed
to get a track onto this channel. Well done guys! In true Davs form it’s of
course a great track. Can’t wait to hear it on my next flight! Now. To find
somewhere to go…..
Dilip n' the Davs are on Facebook and they gig constantly in different versions of their huge line up in convenient locations around our beloved Freo and surrounds. Go and look them up- it's worth your time even if you're not a huge reggae fan. You will be after this! You can buy 'Together' on iTunes- or check Dilip and the Davs out on Facebook, Or on YouTube
Thanks for listening to my wafflings once again, you guys rock! Check us out on Twitter: @isolatednation and @perthsoundchic will keep you happy, and we’d love to know what you think!
Until next time!
-Emma Bradstock