If Dracula himself had Spotify or iTunes I would bet my mortgage that he would have Dreamdog’s new single, ‘Ribbonhands’, on his play list. If Edward Scissorhands could play an instrument this is the music he would play.
From the wailing intro that wakes you up and shakes you down to the thumping beat, you are transported to another world. A world full of rain and crowded streets. It has a very filmic quality. Whilst listening, I pictured myself running down dark corridors, escaping danger or taking long car journeys in torrential rain.
Dreamdog lists one of his influences as the Cocteau Twins, which I get. It has atmosphere reminiscent of ‘Pearly Dew Drops’ but without the chiming vocal of Elizabeth Frazer. I would add another Scottish band into the mix, like all good music, ‘Ribbonhands’ reflects what came before. The Jesus and Mary Chain hit the same Gothic tones, with the same driving beats provided by Bobbie Gillespie on drums. Their sound had just enough melody to balance the sullen, darker layers that weaved throughout their songs. Listen to ‘Just Like Honey’ and you’ll see what I mean. ‘Ribbonhands’ does the same. It sort of growls at you whilst at the same time it wants to hug you.
Talking of filmic quality, there is a film that it would fit perfectly. It’s a film beloved by Sci-Fi fans all over the world so I hope I’m not speaking out of turn here, but ‘Blade Runner’ is the ideal match for this sound. Dark, Gothic, progressive and plain old scary.
You can find Dreamdog online on Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp, and Instagram. Check out ‘Ribbonhands’:
https://soundcloud.com/dreamdogmusic/ribbonhands
