Album Review: def.fo – Music for Dinosaurs
When we last checked in with def.fo – the nom de rock of England’s Tom Powell – the music being made on Eternity was a kind of modern-day psychedelia. And while that character remains on Music for Dinosaurs, there’s a subtly more modern feel to the music. The almost under-the-breath chanting vocal of “Let it Go” owes as much to hip hop as to any psych heroes of yesteryear. The throbbing bass lines hearken to EDM. “Mind Can You Hear Me” continues that vocal approach, wedding it to a crackling and hypnotic trip-hop beat. Listeners will hear echoes of Massive Attack.
“Out of This World” continues the understated quality, with a sludgy (in a good way) bass line and some keening guitar figures that draw connections between ‘60s and modern sonic aesthetics. “Mayday” is haunting and hazy, with shades of Stone Roses meet Radiohead.
Those stuttering beats, found (or “found”) vocals and throbbing bassl ines are a foundational feature of Music for Dinosaurs. Listeners who didn’t know better might be hard pressed to pinpoint exactly when this album came out: 1998? 2024? Anybody’s guess, really, and that’s a testament to its power. Even when def.fo introduces other styles – like the more traditionally jangle-pysch feel of the fetching “When the Sun is Gone” – it’s done with conviction and authenticity.
“Exile to Eden” is all ambient natural sounds and poetry recitation; didn’t see that coming. “This New World” eschews the electronica textures in favor of an understated and simmering rock tune. The shimmering and hypnotic “We Are the Aliens” has an appropriately space-rock feel. The record’s most conventionally catchy tune, “I’m Coming Up” draws the listener in to def.fo’s world (assuming they weren’t already there).
The album’s lengthiest track is also its last, and it’s a sonic outlier. “Pebbles to Boulders” features ersatz Mariachi horns (think Love’s Forever Changes), searing electric lead guitar and a hazy feel. It’s like nothing else on Music for Dinosaurs, and serves to underscore the eclectic mindset that lies at the foundation of def.fo’s artistry. With an extended instrumental outro, it also ends the album in the strongest manner possible.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day for several years). The more than 5000 interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- some 40 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 30 Great Concept Albums is available now. Read even more about him here.