Band: The Dirt And The Flood
Title: The Garden
Label: N/A
Release Date: January 30, 2009
Review By: Scott L
Tracklisting:
01. Home
02. The World As We Know It
03. Welcome Home
04. A Lament
05. In Full View
06. Come On And Trust
07. Plans
08. Colors
09. Golden Tree
10. Intro
11. Say What You Want
12. Part 2
There’s this guy that passes my office most every day carrying a coffee. Now normally that wouldn’t garner much of my attention… it’s usually the one’s without the coffee that I wonder about. But what’s weird about this particular guy, is that he walks a few steps, jogs a few steps, walks a few steps, and jogs a few steps. And he keeps this up until he’s out of view. I have no reason to believe that he doesn’t keep doing this until he reaches where ever it is he’s going. The purpose of mentioning this guy is because as strange as it may seem, there’s a certain cadence to him. A certain rhythmic flow to his actions.
While not nearly as awkward as the guy with the coffee stutter-stepping down the bike path, there’s a very evident ebb and flow to The Dirt And The Flood’s 12-track release, “The Garden”. As the guy went by today, I was listening to this CD and bizarrely enough, there was a moment of symmetry between the two that got me thinking about this. To say that this CD is a God-send would be an understatement. I needed this CD. I needed the soft, soothing… almost anesthetic feel it carries.
The Dirt And The Flood are a 4-piece out of Clemson, South Carolina that play a mellow brand of indie rock that soothes the soul. Along the lines of Sleeping At Last or Standing Small, but with a bit more of an experimental side. Musically, it’s lots of strings in some places… lots of ivory in other places. Songs tend to unfold at a leisurely pace. It’s obvious that there’s no rush; and there shouldn’t be. Things get way to cluttered these days. Everyone is in such a hurry. This CD is the polar opposite… and the songs are well worth the wait as they pack a spiritual depth not often found in the market today.
I have to confess that I found their music not only entertaining, but interesting. And challenging. It’s actually amazingly cerebral. This is, of course, due in large part to the lyrics. While I don’t think that I’d go so far as to call the messages contained in “The Garden” profound, I can say with confidence that they are enlightening and refreshing. And, personally, very timely. Particularly “Come On And Trust” which says, “Oh you of little faith / Christ says to Peter looking straight at me / why don’t you act like you say / and stop trusting in ordinary things / it’s been your biggest mistake / and you want revival / want amazing / but you must trust in this name / it’s all you got anyways / come on and trust / do you remember my name / I am Emanuel / Lord of Lords / you are my hands and feet / to tell the nations I am worthy”. And there’s a whole lot more where that came from.
There really isn’t much of a down-side to this CD. It’s almost an hour of beautifully crafted music that has a stirring message that speaks right to your heart. This one will be a regular part of my playlist for a good long time.
A standout track was a tough decision. I’d have to go with “Home” which opens the CD because I’m a sucker for piano tunes. “Part 2” was noteworthy as well, bringing this CD to a stunning close with some otherworldly vocal work.
Overall: The Dirt And The Flood has put out an awesome CD. I could have lived without the gang vocals at the tail-end of “A Lament”, but other than that, this release is top-notch in every department. Lots of instrumentation. Lots of meaningful moments. Lots of reasons to drop some of your hard earned cash on this CD.
www.myspace.com/thedirtandtheflood