Dual Neutral’s Rogue Phantom Spirit Runs Rampant Across “Daisy Chains”
“More than just the “loud/soft, grunge” dynamic, Dual Neutral filter their building verses with more nuance and swell than most modern rock bands have remembered how to.”
Coming in strikingly visceral and tastefully delicate, Dual Neutral impress from the onset of their newest track ‘Daisy Chains’. With a heavy beat chorus pushed through fuzz and crashing drums the band reaches a triumphant vocal climax in each chorus after patient, ocean-like verses that ebb, build, and create contemplative tension. More than just the “loud/soft, grunge” dynamic, Dual Neutral filter their building verses with more nuance and swell than most modern rock bands have remembered how to.
There is a raw, live feel that stands out most during the quiet breakdown two thirds of the way through “Daisy Chain” and then into the bridge that draws some obvious comparisons (early Hum and “In / Casino / Out” At The Drive In) but with just enough pop to sound like one of the better deep cuts on a New Radicals record. Essentially this is pop at it’s most simple, a great melody without sacrificing production or liveliness in order to grab your attention quickly and keep it the whole length of the track. Dual Neutrals’ sonic choices are stark, but only in service to showcasing each members’ musicianship, and when there is layering it is to make sure the hook hits as hard as it can. This formula works very well, and is hopefully one we’ll hear them come back to in future releases.
Watch the simple yet captivating video below to get a taste for yourself, filmed in what looks like a racket ball court, which somehow adds a sharpness to the grittier elements of the track. The best part; the video just features guitar (Avery) and vocals (Dan), almost as if the most compelling element of the whole track, the drumming, is a rogue phantom spirit. Whether this was an intentional artistic choice, or a pragmatic decision that two-pieces often have to make when branding themselves, you really do get an extra sense of how powerful Dual Neutral’s sound is and what they must be like live.