the american standard
| Format | CD |
| Country | USA |
| Recorded | 2001 |
| Issued | 2001 |
| Label | Red Fez Records |
| Cat no. | FEZ-005 |
| Playing time | 55:07 |
| Reviewer | Rikard A Toftesund |
| DREADNAUGHT the american standard |
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Dreadnaught hails from New Hampshire and have already issued two critically acclaimed albums. The trio (guitar/bass/drums + keyboards, sax, violin, vocal and more) define their music as "progabilly", which sounds reasonable, although perhaps not too precise. Most of all, the group reminded me of an American Höyry-Kone, especially due to the Krimson-ish, seeking sound landscape with strong impulses drawn from national folk music, roots (bluegrass) and rock-farce (like Phish around the Junta LP). Production-wise the Dreadnaught sound carries similarities to guitar-based post-rock artists like The Hosemobile and Don Caballero (other KC-diciples), but the band is separated from them through a more intentional "progressive" attitude (exposed in the over 20 minute long suite Deus Ex Machina). The American Standard is an amazingly unpretentious album, with simple means the trio achieves a result which at best is colourful, irresistably melodic, playfully energetic, and instrumentally never less than impressive. Dreadnaught has made themselves seriously noticed in their home country with this timeless CD. They deserve a similar reaction in Europe.
© 2002 Tarkus Magazine