Canada's finest punk supergroup's contradictorially-titled follow-up is chock-full of ideas
Canada has a rich history of producing interesting music, and you can now add Dead Bob to that list. Featuring John Wright of Nomeansno fame on drums and vocals, along with members of bands like DOA, Pigment Vehicle, Invasives and Rong, this is surely a supergroup worth wrapping your ears around. Their debut album ‘Lifelike‘ was very well received, and now the follow-up ‘Nothing Changes Everything‘ has dropped onto our turntables with a thud of high anticipation. The band have also just announced their first UK tour too, so it’s a good year for Dead Bob fans!
My wife and I got impatient though, and last year, we ventured to Belgium to catch Dead Bob in action. Here’s my review of the Diksmuide (4AD) gig :
“Nomeansno announced their retirement from music in 2016 and left a big hole for many. Hailing from Canada, this unique band were formed in 1979 by the Wright brothers, who trod their own path around their unpredictable punk orbit. Fast-forward to present day, and that flame has been reignited by John Wright and friends, in the form of Dead Bob. The time had come to jump on a plane and check them out in Antwerp, during their European tour. Upon entering the venue, all five members of the band soon launched into a lively rendition of ‘One Of You‘, followed by the excellent trance-like ‘White Stone Eyes‘. Every band member was giving it their all, whipping up a musical whirliwind in the process. ‘Lifelike‘ is another Dead Bob classic in the making, but they were not averse to throwing Nomeansno songs into the mix. The climax of the evening saw John Wright take centre stage to sing an epic rendition of ‘The End Of All Things‘. A perfect way to end a night, in fact. A UK tour must surely beckon?”
This burning question has now been answered, of course, and the band are all set to play these shores in September (please see details below).
Dead Bob’s new album, ‘Nothing Changes Everything‘ has now been released, and I can report that it’s a bit of a departure from the first one. Some would even dare to say (in hushed tones) the word ‘experimental’. The first album, ‘Lifelike“, was released in 2023, and was more of a solo project for John Wright. This follow-up is a collaborative effort with the touring band that has been formed since those original recordings.
Dead Bob are :
John Wright – Vocals/drums.
Byron Slack – Guitar
Kristy Lee Audette – Guitar/trumpet.
Colin MacRae – Bass.
Ford Pier – Keyboards/trombone.
‘Centre Of The Universe‘ kicks off proceedings, with a nice and hypnotic rhythm at its core. This song is full of percussion, and like much of the album, drum-heavy, which I think most Dead Bob fans would strive to hear. John Wright maniacally shouts, “Try it on! See if it fits” as the rest of the band get their heads down and lock into that groove. Some of the backing vocals for some reason, remind me of a melody that the B52’s would come up with. The song then concludes with the cry of “Motherfucker!” before launching into track two. ‘Punkrock-A-Rama‘ keeps up the punk rock pace. It begins with guitars that harmonise with each other, before forming a song that could almost be a Nomeansno/Hanson Brothers mash-up. This song is also a hypnotic one, and slightly disorientating as they appropriately sing, “No end to your mind spinning.” There’s also a trademark chunky bassline in the chorus of the song, which will be sure to get your feet moving. As they say, “If you want it, here it is. Come and get it, but you gotta get up off your fuckin’ ass!”
The title song of the album is an interesting number. It includes a vocal trade-off between band members, and it’s also a song that refuses to sit still. A trumpet and horn section are along for the ride too, in a song where there’s a hell of a lot going on. “Nothing’s the same” is the correct term, I believe. ‘Save Me From Myself‘ is an album highlight for me, which features exceptional vocals from Selina Martin. The song starts atmospherically, with a string section and an ethereal vocal that manages to sound like a theremin. Selina’s vocals remind me of alternative art rocker, St Vincent at times, and that is a good thing. The song structure is an inventive one, accompanied by lyrics that I guess are about how you see yourself and your place in the world.
‘Hard Is Hard’ is another highlight for me, and we were lucky enough to witness them playing this song on their last European jaunt. It begins with an electronic and industrial style rhythm, which morphs into a Hanson Brothers-styled rocker of a tune. The song is an infectious one and the chant of its title will be sure to get stuck in your cranium. It’s a song urging us to open up to each other (“We gotta talk”), and in its description, John Wright very wisely says, “People are hard work. Ourselves the hardest.”
‘It’s Hard To Care‘ is another tune to put you in a trance, with its strange percussive noises and a free-form jazz-like trumpet attack. This song is almost spoken word, which brings us to the penultimate song on the album, ‘The Present‘. This one is an instrumental number, complete with wah-wah bass. I suppose this is the ambient song on this release, and John Wright says humorously, “Voted most likely to be the song everyone skips over.” It’s taken from an early demo of John’s, which eases us into the climactic song of the album, ‘No Fun‘. It is actually a lot of fun, and probably comes closest to that Nomeansno sound we’ve come to know and love them for. Complete with marching drums and a heavy bassline, we are told poetically, “I was born with both eyes shut. A barcode stamped upon my nuts.” This was the lead-off single from the album, which was originally released on a 7-inch, to coincide witb their recent Euro tour. This version is an alternative mix of the song, and it sure is an explosive one. ‘No Fun‘ concludes this album fittingly, amongst a roof-shaking crescendo of drums.
Dead Bob have now announced their upcoming UK/EU tour dates (see below), and I am also happy to report that they are playing our home city of Brighton, with Roadkill Drive-Thru in support. Brighton tickets HERE
Purchase your digital download of ‘Nothing Changes Everything‘ HERE
- Centre Of The Universe
- Punkrock-A-Rama
- Nothing Changes Everything
- Save Me From Myself
- Hard Is Hard
- It’s Hard To Care
- The Present
- No Fun (Alt. Mix)
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I have been writing reviews for Brighton & Hove News, and more recently Vive Le Rock magazine for a few years now. Previously, I could be spotted playing drums for many a band over the decades. A noisy habit developed whilst wearing short trousers at school, and one that has had me touring around the UK and Europe. Punk rock is my life, but I am also quite eclectic. I am an avid gig go-er and music devourer, and can feel out of sorts if a gig date is not on the horizon. I have also been known to put gigs on myself in order to fill those gaps.
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