Like any good expansive, prog-laced,
psychedelic rock album, the story of Dante & the Lobster's
(wondrously decorated) Wonders is a tale of guitars. These folks
aren't going to blow your mind with their vocals – which range from
serviceable to weak (and lurk consistently low in the mix) – but
they do construct rollicking, head-bouncing guitar songs that are
worth bopping along to. The juicy hooks of “Wake Up” and aqua-themed
“Marine Life” are fine examples of the band at its catchy peak,
where chunky guitar chords hog the foreground. Pop hooks seem to
come easily to them, though the band truly finds its form on the
tape's blistering instrumental passages, where the guitars attain
wily freedom – as on the luscious soloing of “Little Dipper” or the
intoxicating, acid-drenched groove of “Girl with Weird Eyes.” The
band also slows things down on occasion – a necessary reprieve – as
on the keyboard-tinged “Treading” and slow burn-out “The Mirage,”
though their most noteworthy moments are those where they lose
themselves in joy of their songs. All this excitement combines to
make one hell of a C40.
