Dinosaur Pile-Up - Eleven Eleven
by Kevin Wierzbicki
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Dinosaur Pile-Up singer and guitarist Matt Bigland says that "11:11," the title track of this album, is in part about finding significance in insignificance, inspired specifically by how the band members seem to see the numbers turning up everywhere they look. Is there something mystical about it? Well there is this; the song rocks and is catchy and built for serious repeat play. "11:11" has a funky strut for a lead-in and the groove goes on long enough to mesmerize the listener before the guitar starts buzzing hard and Bigland sing-chants "eleven eleven!" repeatedly, causing the listener to mindlessly join in, quite possibly wondering after the song ends, "What the heck just happened." What happened is that Dinosaur Pile-Up did a bang-up job at hooking you from the get-go, since "11:11" is the album's opening salvo. The additional good news is that more fun follows as the British alt-rock trio gets a little punk-y with "Red and Purple," sets the tone to "grunge" on the Nirvana-ish "Grim Valentine" and rock with a fervor that would make the Ramones proud on "Anxiety Trip." "Gimme Something" lifts a familiar Nirvana riff, so much so that the song must be an homage to the group, not too surprising since the band are acknowledged fans of the grunge era. Another influence comes to the fore on "Bad Penny," a speedy cut that sounds as if Graham Parker were fronting Motorhead. Bigland has one of those voices that seems to drip with authenticity and he imparts a sense of urgency to every song here without resorting to shouting or anger. No doubt there are going to be tons of fans who, like the band, will now delight in seeing (and hearing) double elevens everywhere.
Dinosaur Pile-Up - Eleven Eleven
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