Dead Confederate

Chronique

Dead Confederate's self-titled EP opens with "Memorial Day Night," an acoustic piece that sets the emotional tone, but not the sound, for the rest of the disc. The jarring guitar chords at the start of "The Rat" dispel any notion that the remainder of Dead Confederate will be as calm as the beginning, but the band's bleak, melancholy tone survives intact. The tune's rhythm section, weary verses, and hard-edged chorus gives it an uncanny resemblance to the Cranberries' "Zombie" -- an odd similarity, given that Dead Confederate's sound goes back further than '90s alt rock. The band is not quite blues-rock, not quite psychedelic, and not quite power trio, though it borrows from all of them. The most notable quality of Dead Confederate is its unrelenting gloom -- though "Get Out" teasingly hints at lighter fare before descending once again -- and the fact that it seems entirely too short. "Shadow the Walls" brings things to a close, pulling together impassioned vocals, a catchy refrain, and echoing guitars. It's a driving number that feels like a launching point rather than an ending, making a strong statement for both Dead Confederate's sound and its potential.

© Katherine Fulton /TiVo