Dippers (the band FKA Thigh Master) return with LP Clastic Rock
For the first time under the moniker of Dippers, Thigh Master founder and leader Matthew Ford has again teamed up with longtime collaborator Innez Tulloch, and this time around, Tulloch has stepped up to the role of being Ford’s principle songwriting partner. The results are rambunctious, with Dippers’ sound taking the unpolished jangle-pop edge of Thigh Master and running with it in fresh and exciting ways.
Their debut release, the aptly named Clastic Rock, melds aspects from a variety of different genres, eras and styles, delivering a sound that works as a combination of 70’s indie rock acts such as The Go-Betweens merged with the futuristic psych-pop of homegrown favourites The Frowning Clouds.
Opener ‘S.I.M’ provides an enriching contrast between vibrant rock riffs and despondent, dead-pan vocals. ‘Tightening The Tangles’ adds an art-pop quirk through its herky-jerky rhythms, ethereal synth arrangements and semi-spoken word vocal cadence, while ‘Comment’s Grip’ adds an early Australian punk-rock quality through its Radio Birdman-esque surf-rock riffs and rapid-fire drum-fills.
Overall, it’s an incredibly full sound, especially considering Dippers are, at the end of the day, a duo. In saying that, there are a handful of collaborators who help bring Dippers’ individualistic vision to life by adding eccentric layers of trombone, flute and harmonica throughout the release.
The result is a healthy dose of nostalgia, which also offers up something new and bohemian. It’s a debut that’ll appease even the most critical music listeners with its jovial, unpolished output.
Label: Tenth Court/Goner Records Release date: 4 August
