DED Rabbit have hit their stride just at the right time ahead of their appearance on T in the Park’s T Break stage tonight, writes Antony Paul.
The Edinburgh-based four-piece – consisting of Yorkshire-born brothers Eugene, Donal, Eoin and Fergus Gaine – have just released the third in a series of new EPs that show a noticeable change of artistic direction for the band.
Rewind a couple of years and Ded Rabbit were known in Scotland for their unique and charming brand of “indie-funk”, crafting infectiously danceable music marked by funky bass licks and lead vocalist Eugene s signature Yorkshire drawl and punchy saxophone.
However, they headed back into the studio and began working on refreshing their sound, regularly testing out new material on the stage of Edinburgh’s Jazz Bar, where they are now considered royalty. The band’s newest EP, the four-track Moving in Slow Motion, is the culmination of this effort.
In their new songs, Ded Rabbit’s style is considerably rawer. The sax is gone, the subject matter is a little more personal and the lyrics are sharper and more mature than their older, more playful material. The most noticeable thing, however, is that their melodies and grooves are still every bit as strong despite the obvious shift towards a more traditional indie sound.
Nowhere is this more obvious than on Step of Your Shoes, the highlight track of the new EP. The song opens with a call-and-answer guitar – Eugene’s sharp jabs interweaving stylishly with Fergus’s fluid lead. It wouldn’t be out of place on a Cribs or Strokes record, but instead of giving off the gritty “rock n’ roll” vibe, the song creates an effortless Nile Rodgers-style chill before erupting into a roaring, distorted chorus.
That said, much of the material on the band’s recent releases would be better described as a statement of intent rather than a triumphant breakthrough.
In many places it sounds like many household indie bands, but the tasteful intricacy and groove that was once so central to the Ded Rabbit sound is steadily being clawed back.
Moving in Slow Motion is far stronger than any of its predecessors, and with it Ded Rabbit are testing the limits of the indie canvas whilst sticking to a very traditional set-up.
This has been an unexpected change of direction for the band, but it may just prove to be the right one, especially seeing that brothers will tonight be not only appearing on but headlining the illustrious T Break stage.
If you’re not at Strathallan Castle this weekend, you can catch the band live at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh on Saturday, August 1.
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