The Dandy Warhols – The Dandy Warhols Are Sound

2003 album ‘Welcome To The Monkey House’ isn’t widely regarded as being one of their best. The electro-pop that characterised most of the album was more filler than killer and it’s saving graces were that the singles ‘We Used To Be Friends’ and ‘You Were The Last High’ were mind-blowingly brilliant. As it transpires, ‘…Monkey House’ wasn’t how it was supposed to sound. Vetoing the band’s mix the label put out their own version. ‘The Dandy Warhols Are Sound’ then is how the band wanted their record to be, the track listing is completely different and it’s mixed by revered soul/R&B engineer Russell Elavedo giving the album a less glossy finish and so much better for it.

The long slow build up to ‘Burned’ opens the record in a suitably tripped out fashion. It’s more subtle than the original and so much better for it. ‘Burned’ sums up the record and it’s relationship to it’s label approved predecessor perfectly. The biggest complaint here is that the songs sometimes seem to be more drawn out than they were previously (although length wise this isn’t the case). This does however add to the trippy feel of what is a summer album. Of all the songs here ‘Scientist’ is one of the least recognisable when compared to it’s old form (‘(I Am A) Scientist’), yet it compliments the following track, ‘We Used To Be Friends’ which now has a Gary Numan feel.

‘I Am Over It’ is one of the most welcome surprises here, transformed from the filler that it was into a epic sounding slow burner. It’s gloriously cinematic in the way that The Dandy Warhols have always had it in them to be and sounds like a sun rise on Tatooine. ‘I Am Sound’ is really quite beautiful and would have made a brilliant closer had it been chosen to end the record. As it is the re-jigged tracklisting has left this song in the exact same place, still with the plinky-plonky piano sounds and angelic backing vocals this is certainly making its way onto the next summer mix tape that we make. The tracks which do follow on from ‘I Am Sound’ are swirly and atmospheric in a way that almost nullifies their existence as songs and instead ‘…Are Sound’ exits on not so much a downer but certainly in a way which highlights the brilliance of some of the previous songs.

Over all this is a welcome, if inessential look at what could have been for The Dandy Warhols. The die hard fans are certainly advised to give this a listen, and for those who don’t own ‘…Monkey House’, this is recommended in its place.