It’s a jingle-jangle morning in these parts thanks to the D.C.-based band Dot Dash, whose 16 Again compilation is chockfull of ringing guitars, raucous (Mersey)beats and lyrics that navigate life’s gradients in cheeky, philosophical and/or heartfelt form—sometimes all at once. The songs are compact snaps reminiscent of the concise outings from such long-ago bands as the Jam and Shoes, among others. They’re New Wave, power pop and garage rock rolled into one, and the kind of tunes best played loud.
The 16-track outing features 15 songs drawn from the band’s seven studio outings plus a rendition of Television Personalities’ “Jackanory Stories.” Arranged in reverse-chronological order, it opens with four highlights from last year’s Madman in the Rain and ends with one from their debut, Sparks>Flame>Ember>Ash, with the Television Personalities cover—which was inspired by a British children’s show—working somewhat as an ironic afterword: “Just like life there’s a good beginning but there is no middle/So you may as well skip to the end/It’s the same old story/And I’ve heard that story a thousand times before.”
Which is to say, the middle tracks are well worth one’s time. The “stories” may well cover the same ground as countless others (as most songs do), but in ways that are wholly original—and catchy. The mid-tempo “Tatters,” which at three minutes and change is the longest track here, is a good example. Lead singer Terry Banks ably navigates the shades of gray that come in those late-night moments when one’s dreams are seemingly crushed by life’s demands: “All alone in the dark, it’s late/listening to the sound night makes/The only thing that’s left is a dull ache/waiting for daybreak/It doesn’t matter, illusions get shattered/along the way/and everything’s in tatters, anyway.”
Another favorite find from the collection is “(Here’s to) The Ghosts of the Past,” which digs into the spectres that haunt us as we age. And “The Sound in Shells,” another track from the same album (2013’s Half-Remembered Dream), is a slice of rock ’n’ roll nirvana. What’s cool about listening to 16 Again is the way the reverse-chronological order gradually deconstructs the band’s sound to its original core; those early tracks wear their influences on their melodic sleeves—but wear them well.
My hunch is that 16 Again will mostly appeal to folks who, like me, lived through the New Wave and post-punk years as they happened. If you’re of that vintage, definitely give it a go. It’s a postcard from the past that was sent in the present, if that makes sense.
The Old Grey Cat 
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