EP/Mini Album Review: Dragged Up – D/U

  • Mark Cartwright posted
  • Reviews

Dragged Up

D/U - Self Released

You know when you feel like you have been flung down into a dark pit and have no ladder to get up, the muddy sides have foot holes that keep giving way when you try to climb up, but you have no intention of giving up.

Well here is my hole ‘D/U’ by Glasgow combo Dragged Up, let’s try and explain this one.  

‘Neighbourhood Watch’ is the initial drop into the hole, a strange dizzy concoction of what starts out sounding like a Patti Smith moment in time, but never really gets going emotionally, yet at the same time has you following along and trying to piece together the puzzle (albeit with too many missing pieces) kind of enjoyable in a weird self indulgent way.

Now comes the bit were you realise your now well and truly in the depths and want to try and get out, a foot hold comes if the form of muses that have you grasping and clawing your way up, with wonderful Young Marble Giants esk sounds that are simple yet beautifully intricate in ‘Hevy Chevy Malibu’ & ‘The Jiangshi’ the first giving no real grip and leaving you wondering what if you might ever get out, the latter having you fighting off zombies and blood sucking vampires to get the up the walls.  

Musically your given snippets of foot holds, only to find yourself slipping down the mud wall, lifted again by beautifully light updrafts of melody, then once again weighed down by heavy riffs and scratchy non sensical guitar thrashing.

All this carries on with ‘Return Of Dafthead’ (wonderful song title) and ’Happy Birthday, Glen & Phillis’ (life moments), until you get to the seven minutes plus of ‘Voodoo Tabard’ which lifts the mood a little and gives you that boost you need to reach the level ground to which you came from at the beginning, full of melody, a wonderful bass line, hooks to die for and yes the vocal feels like its Dragged you Up!

Moral of this story is, never judge an EP/Mini album by its outer shell alone.

Scratch the surface and although you might feel like its a struggle, the reward is worth it.

Some great moments that make you glad to be a music/art lover.

Out now on the Bands BANDCAMP

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