Dion Read & The Afterthoughts - The Shoes & Gloves EP (Album)
Charming. Dainty. Smile. Delicious. Sweet. Quirky. These are the words coming to mind as I absorb the opening track- If I Was There For You- on Dion Read and The Afterthoughts’ The Shoes & Gloves EP.
Lyrics like “What’s your boyfriend’s name? Are you sure that he’s not gay? I guess it’s true what they say, not funny ha-ha, but slightly funny strange” make Dion instantly endearing. A slightly softer- and more amusing- Josh Pyke, a less country Ben Kweller, Dion sings the kind of songs that make girls want to take their men home to Mama. Or whomever they have at home. The Triple J endorsed Unloving You bursts with catchy, jangly piano and Dion’s particular husky vox. The way he says “you” in songs isn’t detached- it feels like you. No, this song isn’t for anyone else, it was written for me, you think. The Ben Folds influence is clear: not in a defamatory way, simply in their sharing of pleasing harmonies, delectable piano and humorous, quaint lyrics. I am constantly surprised, when listening to this EP, that Dion & The Afterthoughts- that’d be James on bass/synth/table tennis spectating and Kyle on drums and gristle- have not been snapped up by some indie label and plonked into major airwaves so everyone else can love them too.
Serious rounds off the 4-track EP in a stunning cloud of keys and gorgeous vocals from Mr. Read, and I am intensely disappointed I have no more to listen to. If you like the kind of indie-acoustica that is slathering all over the music industry these days- both underground and mainstream, it’s everywhere!- Dion Read beats all of that. Pavarotti once said; “Compare music to drinks. Some is like a strong brandy. Some is like a fine wine. The music you're playing sounds like Diet Coke”. I believe bands like The Shins are Diet Coke (nay, Coke Zero!); all flash and gash, no real flavour, mostly artificial. Dion Read is the sweet wine lulling me off to sleep. Get into ‘em, kids.
