Dulling The Horns

“Dulling The Horns” Wild Pink
Indie rock out of New York City. John Ross and his mates return with their 5th album. On 2022’s ILYSM, Ross was dealing with the emotions of a stunning, life-changing cancer diagnosis. Moving past that, he’s taken the band in a new direction — making an album that’s more spontaneous and “lived in,” with less polish around the edges. It’s rock that’s designed to be played live and in fact was recorded ‘live in the room’ in a Massachusetts studio. In addition to warm, fuzzed-out guitars, there’s some synth, saxophone and even a fiddle in places. Meanwhile, Ross’s lyrics share intriguing stories on topics ranging from sports to daily life and mortality. RIYL: The War On Drugs, Jackson Browne, Ratboys, The Hold Steady.
— Francis

Recommended: 5, 1, 2, 7, 8, 10. FCC on track 11.

1. (2:38) The Fences Of Stonehenge (Clean Edit) — Eases into an anthemic groove. Fuzzy, ringing guitars and thumping drums support Ross’s vocals. Reminiscent of Jackson Browne’s heavier radio hits. ****
2. (3:39) Eating The Egg Whole — Skipping rhythm. Airy mix of piano and guitar under rapid-fire. Almost-spoken vocals. Inspired by a Michael Jordan documentary, with the lyrics considering how nothing lasts forever. ***
3. (4:22) Cloud Or Mountain — Roaring baritone guitar chords. Shifts to a more deliberate tempo at the two-minute mark.
4. (3:30) Disintegrate — Wall of guitar-driven sound, with a saxophone breaking through the mix at times.
5. (3:43) Sprinter Brain — Rockin’, up-tempo driving tune — with guitar and prominent piano. Very Springsteen-esque in its construction. ****
6. (3:42) Dulling The Horns — Methodical tempo. Contemplative track with big, crunchy guitars. Lyrics about learning to let go.
7. (4:39) St. Catherine St. — Lighter track that starts with strummed guitar before shifting to a heavier, chugging fuzzed sound. Soaring guitar solo near the end. ***
8. (3:41) Catholic Dracula — A bit of a lilt to this one. Guitar and meandering saxophone blended together. Musically inspired by “The Wayward Bus” by the Magnetic Fields. ***
9. (1:55) Bonnie One — Big, noisy, rolling rock — with bagpipes in the lead break and lyrics about a dream Ross had where he and a friend were dogs who got chased and trapped on a bridge, before jumping off.
10. (5:52) Rung Cold — Thoughtful, storytelling closer with numerous changes in tempo, tone and style as Ross examines the meaning of life and the things we do to get by day-to-day. ***
11. (2:38) The Fences Of Stonehenge (Unedited) — FCC: shit. Unedited version of track 1.