Dime Box Band: “Happy” (2019) CD Review

The Los Angeles music scene is pretty damn good these days, with a lot of bands worth your attention. One of the groups you should check out is Dime Box Band. I recently saw Dime Box Band on a bill with Russ Tolman, and was taken by their harmonies and their energy and overall vibe. At that show, they focused on material from their new album, Happy, their second full-length release (following Five And Dime Waltz, which came out a decade ago). That material was really good, so I figured it was about time I reviewed the album. Dime Box Band is made up of Kristi Callan on guitar and vocals; Lyn Bertles on violin, mandolin, viola and harmony vocals; Nick Vincent on drums, organ, piano, electric guitar and harmony vocals; Alex Vincent on bass and cello; and James Nolte on guitar. They have several special guests joining them on various tracks.

The album opens with “All Of Nothing,” a lively country number that has more than a bit of a rock flavor. This was also the track they chose to open their show when I saw them perform in July, and it’s a good one. “I’ve been watching and waiting/I don’t want to make the first move/We both got a set of plans/We know what we’d like to do/But you might laugh/And you might leave/But then again/Maybe you need me.” There is bright, joyful vibe to this one. That’s followed by “As The Crow Flies.” With lyrics like “But the road is long/It dips and winds/You take a wrong turn/And lose some time” and “And all the shortcuts take you back to start,” I’m thinking this song should be added to my road trip play list. And I love the mandolin, which adds greatly to the track’s cheerful sound.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff/Just let it go,” Kristi sings in “What Went Wrong?” This is a song about wondering what went wrong with a relationship, where the feelings went. But everything about this song sounds exactly right. Matthew Downs plays pedal steel on this track, and I really dig the way it sounds with the violin. This album should put a smile on your face. One of my personal favorites from this album is “Close Your Eyes.” This is a pretty and passionate and effective song with something to say about those who stand by and don’t get involved. Check out these lyrics: “You must conform/Or pay the price/Play along/And make nice/Don’t deviate/It’s a mistake/And you’ll never win.” Yes, it’s clearly a song for our time, with lines like “Close your eyes/Look away/There’s nothing you can do anyway/Keep to yourself/Don’t get involved/It’s always been this way.” Adding to this song’s beauty and appeal is Alex Vincent’s work on cello, an instrument that I always appreciate.

“Happy,” the album’s title track, is an energetic number about reaching toward that elusive happiness. “The grass is always greener on the other side/And everyone’s got so much to hide/‘Cause no one wants to hear how hard it is/To work two jobs and raise four kids.” I love the violin work, particularly that lead part in the second half. Probyn Gregory plays banjo on this track, and North Vincent is on trumpet. That’s followed by “Spilt Milk,” a song that opens with the lines, “I’m not thin enough/I’m not rich enough/Pretty enough/Smart enough for you/I haven’t done enough/I’ve wasted time.” I think we’re all in touch with that kind of thinking at times. This tune has something of a catchy country groove, and features more nice work on violin. “Life is too short to have no commitments” is an interesting line. It grabbed me the first time I listened to this disc. “Detour” is a totally fun country number, and another that should find a place on my road trip play list. Danny McGough plays accordion on this track, and Ana Callan provides some vocals.

There is a lot of horrible stuff happening in our country right now, more than one person could possibly keep track of. Every day we hear more from that sub-human garbage heap named Donald Trump. One of the many horror stories is the Keystone pipeline, and that is addressed in Dime Box Band’s “Keystone,” a powerful song that contains a nod to Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” They then sing, “Let’s take it back.”  There is some seriously good stuff on guitar in the second half of the song. By the way, the latest from that front is that the bloody Trump administration is trying to get a legal case from Native American tribes dismissed. That’s followed by “Felix Felicis,” a song that at times strongly reminds me of Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5.” “Every day is the same old struggle/Trying not to get lost in the daily shuffle/And hang on to yourself.” Probyn Gregory plays banjo on this one. The album then concludes with “Everybody Lies.” It’s a fun number, though it makes me sad, this idea that everybody is dishonest, even if it’s only about little things. I cannot abide dishonesty (one of the many reasons I detest Donald Trump and all his little Nazi minions). “And you don’t have to lie to me/I can take the truth/But only if you tell me just what I want to hear.”

CD Track List

1. All Of Nothing
2. As The Crow Flies
3. What Went Wrong?
4. Going My Way
5. Close Your Eyes
6. Happy
7. Spilt Milk
8. Butterflies
9. Detour
10. Keystone
11. Felix Felicis
12. Everybody Lies

Happy was released on July 1 (or possibly July 8), 2019.