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DUFUS
Ball of Design (ROIR)
Reviewed by Jeremy Barker
Dufus is huge. By that, I mean there seems to be a million people in the band, all singing and shouting like animals. Not that that's a bad thing. It's freewheeling anti-folk interspersed with a few jam band theatrics. The out of tune singing offsets the jam tendency, steering this album away from the all too generic Rusted Root sound. Along with the humongous out of key choir, the sinuous vocals of Seth Faergolzia phase between lows and highs, carrying the rest of the band with it.
The lyrics aren't that amazing, as far as the blistering tendencies of anti-folk go, but there are undeniable moments that stand out. However, there are a few cringe worthy moments here and there. "Freedom," the opening track, is great until we hear the word "freedom" over and over again. "Freedom is right before your eyes," the song proclaims. Flavorless statements like that abound over the album. If a little hippie rhetoric doesn't bother you, you'll have no problem with it.
But the point is undeniable. Dufus have freed themselves from many musical constraints, and they'd like you to free yourself from your own chains. They'd like to see you dance around and yell along with their choir. Don't like your job? Quit it! Don't like your routine? Fuck it! Don't like your life? Give up, travel with a band, and do what you enjoy. And while this may all seem terribly naive, it's a nice fantasy. I don't want to be the one to take it away from them. Far be it for me to tell someone to stop following a dream, and I wish I had the balls to do the same. Good luck guys.
As far as the music goes, it's pretty standard jam fare. Acoustic guitar noodles and the standard tap tap of the jam drums. It's less often that they go into a weird time signature or an unusual progression, but when they do, they do so with ease. Certainly, they're talented musicians. Just don't expect anything incredibly groundbreaking.
Overall, it's a fair to good release that will appeal to a broad range of people, but it will find the most appeal with the jam band set. It's a bit too poppy for most of the anti-folk people, but you can't be everything to everyone. And also, thank god for no extended jam sessions or thirty minute bongo solos. Thank you, Dufus, thank you.
© 2005 - Jeremy Barker