Detroit, MI's Dre Carlan debuts solo work

Release date: January 28th, 2011
Genre: acoustic, alternative rock

"Whatever Happened, Happened": Begins with a short, spoken announcement- "what is freedom? What would we have to be like to have free will?"- it's a provocatove opening, given you allow your ears to hear it. Vocals enter at 0:30, a hint of monotous drone which I can't confirm to be intentional. Accompaniment swtches between tangy guitars, and sparkly chimes. It's a pretty arrangement a la Mark Kozelek's Sun Kil Moon or the Nashville duo Strays Don't Sleep. Sweet lyrics on a fading repeat make the closing particularly amiable.

"Rewaking to Realize": The continuous strumming guitar is made interesting by distributing volume balance in an unpredictable pattern and the vocal harmonies are lovely. Dre Carlan isn't of any particular talent, but that of putting together an awfully good track. Without percussion, there's a vulnerability to his sound; his voice holds a meloancholic tragedy- almost as if he were mourning a loss of relationship, thought, or possession.

"The Ash It Rained": At this point, I'm undecided whether the amateurish vocals tamper with the overall effect or are actually a blessing in diguise. If there's one thing to be warned against, it's to not expect much from the execution of the vocals. .DC I is stripped down, exposed, especially "The Ash" with an abrupt ending.

"Cosmonaut (At the Drive In)": Carlan's really pulled out all the stops on this one. Hands down the prettiest song on a very short, but pretty EP.

I applaud Dre Carlan for his refreshing tone, very well-thought out and recorded with minimal equipment. The first of a hopeful series of releases, .DC I is far from a solid package; at the same time, it's also far from the commercialized, refined sugar we're fed everywhere we turn our ears. If you're looking to add depth to your library, I strongly recommend it.