Review: Dimeshift – In One Basket

Sergio reviews Dimeshift’s In One Basket.

Artist Name: Dimeshift
Album Name: In One Basket
Year: 2010
Genre: Soft Rock

First of all, what the hell is ‘suburban indie rock’? Do they play on freshly mowed lawns next to X5s or something? I don’t care who suggested that genre definition to the guys, but it’s a lame term – Dimeshift are a soft rock band. Period.

Now that my rant is out of the way, let’s get down to business.

In One Basket is the debut album of South Africa’s latest and brightest acoustic-driven rock band. Recorded over several months at B Sharp Studios, the album is neatly produced for an independent effort. While it still has a few rough edges, which are generally synonymous with self-released albums, it still has enough quality to spawn a few radio-friendly singles.

Two tracks that particularly stand out are: ‘Let You Down’ and ‘Fallen Angels’. ‘Let You Down’ carries an interesting garage rock sway, reminiscent of the infamous Green Day side project, the Foxboro Hot Tubs – the song is raw, but upbeat and cheerful. ‘Fallen Angels’ is a heart-residing ballad, much in the same vein as a Flat Stanley or Mean Mr Mustard hit – it’s an exceptionally strong track, both lyrically and musically. If these two songs don’t reach mainstream radio attention, I urge Dimeshift to personally subscribe the station mangers’ email addresses to various German fetish porn websites. There is no reason why they shouldn’t be playlisted on national radio.

It would be premature to say that In One Basket is a groundbreaking release or ‘album of the year’ contender, but it does serve its purpose. Dimeshift have the potential to go far, and must continue to accelerate at full throttle. Overall, it’s a decent debut album.

Best Tracks: ‘Let You Down’, ‘Chasing A Tale’, and ‘Fallen Angels’

66/100

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za
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