On their debut album, Light To Guide Me, what The Dice do well they do very well, and what they don’t do well…there’s not much of. For a band that spent a lot of time in the pub scene, honing their craft and gathering fans, they sound remarkably polished throughout the album’s 12 tracks. Considering that a great number of bands from in and around the UK can be lumped into an indie-rock or U2 sound alike grouping, it’s incredibly refreshing that The Dice share more similarities with Britpop than anything else.
What’s especially pleasant about this album is that no one member outshines any of the others. Charlie Freeman is simultaneously soothing and commanding as a lead vocalist, able to perform his ballads just as easily as the rockers that he’s written. He’s aided by fellow vocalist, Poppy Middleditch creating effective harmonies and filling out the sound of the album in general. Guitarist, John Mackenzie sounds fantastic whether he’s gently playing acoustic or riffing heavily. The rhythm section of Alex Usher Smith and Oli Kindersley (on bass and drums respectively) are slightly more subdued in that they don’t overpower but contribute solid grooves and fills when called for in the songs. Keyboardist Rob Huntington solidifies the group by providing an emotional texture, specific to the song he’s playing on; adding urgency to the quicker numbers and gentleness to the slow to mid-tempo ballads.
Really, The Dice is a well-oiled musical machine that when placed into a song will perform the hell out of it. The album kicks off with gentle keyboards that raise into a bluesy guitar riff, ushering in the first track, “Hurricane.” As good as this song is, its the next track, “Control” that exemplifies the talent of this sextet. Freeman rips through the verses like he’s rapping, Fire in her soul/burning a hole/a lonely smile dipped in gold/devil in her eyes, blue blue eyes, and follows it with a “whoa-o-oa” shout-out and biting chorus. The keyboards pulse, the guitars rip, and the beat is flat-out danceable.
“Girl Next Door” follows and is really the template for the ballads that follow. Freeman sings of a woman who has “Nothin, nothin’ on the girl next door” set to soft guitars and gentle piano. This is where the bass and drums take on that more subdued role which is neither extraordinary or superfluous…they just work well. If one could criticize Light To Guide Me, it would have to be that the ballads sound a bit similar. This doesn’t prevent songs like, “Keep An Eye On Me”, “Lazy Days”, or “Let’s Stay Together” from being good, indeed some of these songs feature some unique guitar work and keyboard playing, but it does bog the album down a bit when compared to the differing energy that the rock songs have. There’s also a kind of superfluous female backing choir that pops up from time to time on later songs, which detracts from the songs by adding more to the arrangements than needed.
Considering that these are the worst of the albums problems, the good obviously outweighs the bad by far. “Alive” is another stand out track, with its infectious opening riff, joyful lyrics, and breakdown that occurs towards the songs end. Even little bits and pieces of this album are pleasing, such as the guitar solo on “Lillies” and the brilliant keyboards of “Falling Down.”
Light To Guide Me is an exemplary album, and a fantastic debut, showcasing a consistent versatility and potential for even greater things to come.
Reviewed By Heath Andrews
