Jem Doulton – The Spitting Dummy Parade

We have another tremendous artist today who’s no stranger to our pages. I wrote about Jem Doulton before, and you should all be aware of his art by now. Doulton is an experienced drummer who recorded and toured with the greats such as Thurston Moore and Róisín Murphy, but also active in many psych/alternative rock, free improvised stuff happening in the London area. For those who’re new to his activities, Jem Doulton recorded a full-length release a while ago, and he gradually unleashes compositions from this material as singles.

This time, I will talk about his second to last single named The Spitting Dummy Parade. It is the eleventh composition of twelve that makes his full-length release. Besides Doulton, The Spitting Dummy Parade involves Deb Googe of legendary My Bloody Valentine on bass and Benji Bouton of Mad Mad Mad on guitar. Like his previous compositions, The Spitting Dummy Parade showcases an entire amalgam of genres that operate together harmoniously from scratch to finish. This number will be right up the alley of those listeners who’re profoundly into psychedelic rock, synth rock, post-rock, art-rock, industrial, experimental, and avant-garde music. The musical direction always depends on his guest musicians, but I can hear how The Spitting Dummy Parade works like a charm with the remainder of the album.

The sheer dominance of retro psychedelic rock, art-rock, and post-rock entirely give more than a perfect base for the remainder of the genres. It’s nearly mindblowing how these three elements serve as a canvas, while the various industrial maneuvers, ambient soundscapes, and experimental/avant-garde virtuosities paint brighter sonic imagery throughout this composition. I think this is probably Doulton‘s most complex number on the album so far, and there’s no slightest doubt in my mind The Spitting Dummy Parade will provide more than a good closure to the entire full-length release. Still, there’s a twelfth track that’s yet to be published, so keep your eyes peeled on Jem Doulton’s social media pages. You can listen to The Spitting Dummy Parade on all streaming services.