Boston Band Crush

C.D. On Songs: Dirigible Ego // "All Saints"

On 11.08.11 | In C.D. On Songs | by C.D. Di Guardia

Today’s theme is Somerville, Somerville, Somerville. There’s no place like it, no matter how hard lesser towns try. I am looking at you, Allston. Saturday’s gig at the Rosebud will be a Somervillian celebration – a band from Somerville (they have some guys from Jamaica Plain, but we’ll forgive them that), playing in Somerville and singing songs inspired by the Somerville “countryside.” The band’s name is Dirigible Ego. The show is in Davis Square. The song? Why, it’s right here.

Dirigible Ego – “All Saints”

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We don’t get to say this too often, but “All Saints” starts out with a fairly refreshing two-chord figure. A piano plinks out the two-section melody over the busy strumming of a pin-straight and cutting acoustic guitar. The vocals enter in deadpan fashion, sort of softening up the earnest tone of the music with weird poetry of saints and the venerated, like the prog-rock poetry of the 70′s, only taking place in your Uncle Sal’s front lawn, resplendent with white stone and plenty of Virgin-Mary-In-a-Bathtub statuettes, St. Francis statues, and anyone else.

“All Saints” keeps its tone semi-tongue in cheek, yet manages to make an actual comment on the state of religion and beliefs with their chorus. And it’s not one of those snotty “I had to wear a tie to school so I hate religion,” type things – it’s a statement on what has become of cherished beliefs and symbols: they now guard the gardens. While we may be reading way too far into this message, it is regardless a compelling notion – do these beliefs lose some of their punch when they are left outside to collect snow, rain and whatever other elements may drop from the sky onto their saintly heads?

When the poetic echo of the refrain hits – “These are the guardians of our gardens” – we realize that this track is the real deal. “All Saints” is what we are going to call an ideal example of rhetorical song. Without saying “We mean this,” or “We mean that,” Dirigible Ego doesn’t just spin their own philosophical wheels but those of the listener as well. The solid construction of the composition allows the song’s message to breath deep and be heard loud and clear.

Want to submit your band’s song to C.D. On Songs?
To be reviewed in a C.D. On Songs column, please:
*Be a Boston-based band/artist.
*Email a single mp3/m4a/etc. (or a download link to one) to cdonsongs (at) gmail (dot) com, with the subject line “C.D. on Songs” (DO NOT send us a bunch of songs and make us pick, we will ignore you). We require a file – not a streaming link.
*Include album cover art if you have any. If you don’t, a band photo or logo is acceptable.
*Tell us when you want to see it! Give us the date of your show and we’ll make sure it runs as close as possible to that day. No kidding.

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