Dustin Douglas and the Electric Gentlemen: Break It Down Review
Break It Down is the second LP from Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen, coming after last years EP of mainly covers – ‘Blues 1’. This full sounding power trio from Pennsylvania consists of Dustin Douglas on vocals and guitars, Matt Gabriel on bass, and Tommy Smallcomb on drums. Break It Down is a big Blues-Rock splash, displacing plenty of water from the pool. There’s a preponderance of awesome guitar riffs, and a power to weight ratio comparable to a 750cc Kawasaki Triple of the 70s (just three dudes here, they sound huge).
Although many influences for the band are drawn from Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and SRV, from the first track “A Little Bit” pulls us into now with a hip-hop-esque drum beat intro. This is really just the Electric Gentlemen juggernaut getting started, laidback bass line enters, and screaming guitar follows. Across most of the thirteen tracks a fun and romping groove persists, with each song never sounding like the last. It only slows down a touch with “Ain’t No Denyin’”, being more Southern Rock tinged, and the slow-burning “Out of My Mind” (but it burns damn hot with Douglas’ tone and guitar work).
Especially worth noting is the huge drum sound on the album, giving tracks like “Destiny”, “Fat Cat” and “Your Face Is Stunning” a real push. Tommy Smallcomb’s drumming is like a metronome on steroids, this guy’s technique has the right amount of force to fill out the speakers, and an insistence not unlike John Bonham’s. Then, adding Matt Gabriel’s bass lines into that, I could probably listen to this rhythm section all day, tight but groovy, and topping it off; the swaggering, suave vocals, and soaring, chunky six strings of Dustin Douglas. The overall essence of this music is steeped in the ’60s and ’70s, but the boys here are bringing that more or less vintage sound to modern ears.
On the whole, if someone were to ask me: What is Blues-Rock? There would be a fair chance I’d be reaching for this album, because it’s a darn good example of the genre.
The Review: 8.5/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– A Little Bit
– Destiny
– My Time is Precious
– Fat Cat
– Your Face Is Stunning
The Big Hit
– Fat Cat
Review by Ethan Burke
