The Dopamines – Tales Of Interest LP (Bearded Punk Records)

The Dopamines made quite a name for themselves since their inception in 2006. Whoever stumbled upon some of their records probably instantly fell in love with their highly addictive music. In nearly fifteen years of their existence, this Cincinnati, Ohio pop-punk sensation released remarkable full-lengths, such as a debut self-titled album, Expect The Worst, Vices, and Tales Of Interest. Besides full-lengths, the group also released The Soap And Lampshades EP and shared a couple of split releases with Til Plains, The Copyrights, and Be My Doppelganger. Comparing to their other recordings, The Dopamines unquestionably evolved with time, and Tales Of Interest perhaps represents their most complete recording, with nearly every tune sounding like a charm. Therefore, I would like to talk about this particular record a little bit more today.

Perhaps Tales Of Interest been released by Bearded Punk Records in 2017, but this particular material represents one of the most versatile pop-punk recordings today. There’s something about their numbers that skyrockets The Dopamines far above the remaining portion of the pop-punk scene. It’s due to the vividly hearable layers of dirtiness and aggressiveness, mainly added over the recognizable pop-punk aesthetics. Their music may be pop-punk in essence, but The Dopamines are also flirting with classic punk rock maneuvers, which are spicing things up a little bit more. This formula works pretty well with their intense dynamics that are also uncharacteristic for this particular subgenre. Tales Of Interest carries fourteen compositions that differ a lot from each other, but in the end, the entire material represents a comprehensive collection that resonates harmoniously from scratch to finish.

The Dopamines solely rely upon dualities between robust chord progressions and nearly melancholic themes. The lead guitar bursts with these themes through various arpeggios, octaves, and other guitar licks. Both guitars are retaining generous servings of crunch/fuzzy distortion, so that’s the source of the beforementioned dirtiness. Their aggressive approach to pop-punk comes from the stalwart rhythm section. The semi-distorted bass guitar bursts with ear-appealing harshness, but you can also vividly hear all the basslines. The highly energetic drumming performance provides dynamics and stability to the group through ferocious rhythmic acrobatics, accentuations, and other maneuvers. The Dopamines nailed with Tales Of Interest in every possible way. Tales Of Interests comes on a beautiful transparent purple vinyl and compact disc. Both formats are available at Bearded Punk Records, so head over to their web store and treat yourself with this powerful pop-punk gem.