Whilst we are all aware of how toxic social media and celebrity culture can be, there’s a masochist in all of us that still allows those negative nagging thoughts to get to us. Am I a good person? Am I doing something with my life? Do I look attractive? These kinds of thoughts are what is being explored in Dinosaur Pile-Up’s latest album, Celebrity Mansions. Speaking of the record, frontman Matt Bigland says that “it’s a reference to when we were on tour, questioning whether we’d wasted our lives doing this.”
Exploring their place in the current state of music, Dinosaur Pile-Up have come back bigger and better than before. ‘Thrash Metal Cassette’ is doused in sarcasm about the wider audience’s reactions to thrash metal. The chorus switches back and forth from typical Dinosaur Pile-Up’s filthy shredding style, to a polished pop-punk melody. Being the first song on the album, it’s a clear message of not giving a fuck whether the masses enjoy your music – it’s all about making something with substance. As Matt says in one of the verses, “I’m gonna shred ‘til I’m dead anyway.”
It’s this theme of frustration in enjoying something that isn’t fully sustainable, which carries the album. ‘Back Foot’ comes with a kind-of Limp Bizkit crossover between spoken-word, rap music and big fat rock and roll riffs, whereas ‘Stupid Heavy Metal Broken Hearted Loser Punk’ – which wins at being one of the most ridiculous titles ever – is a raucous punk love letter. To who, is the question? The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson comes up twice on this album – first on ‘Back Foot’ and then, on ‘K West’ – could the album be an ode to him? He seems like one of the nicest men in Hollywood, so who could blame them?
Another topic of conversation on the album is mental health. ‘Celebrity Mansions’ is a rock ballad drenched in irony. “My time is coming around; I don’t know when and I don’t know how. I guess I’m working it out.” Knowing when to take a step back in order to care for yourself is truly a skill. Even if you’re not optimistic, at least being hopeful that things will get better, is enough. Asking someone for help when you’re in a bad place is always difficult but ‘Round The Bend’ seems to be an exercise in asking someone to be patient with you whilst you’re losing your mind. Just before the final chorus, there is what sounds like an acoustic demo thrown in for some added intimacy.
Acceptance is something that we all struggle with - in real life and online – so the heart-felt ‘Black Limousine’ is a pure message of positivity for those who do not think that they deserve it. “I don’t care if you’re unwanted, thrown away, broken, discarded.” If that wasn’t enough, ‘Professional Freak’ is a stomping take on turning your idiosyncratic qualities into your own source of power. “If I’m freaking you out, I don’t give a fuck because I’m exactly the way I wanna be. I’m a professional freak.”
‘Pouring Gasoline’ is a distinct highlight on the album, with its modern-day grunge feel. The guitars are amped up with overdrive and distortion and this is the most dynamic vocal composition of all ten songs. Switching between piercing Grohl-esque screams and sullen Cobain drawling, the song explores crippling mental cycles that disrupt your everyday life - “under the weather, it’s all in my head; I don’t feel better.” Whilst this is a highlight, it is completely overshadowed by the intensely emotive eulogy of ‘Long Way Down’. For the majority of the song, the vocals are in Matt’s higher range until he is pronouncing the word down, with a distinct pensive tone.
The synergy between instruments and vocals is a powerful thing to listen to, on Celebrity Mansions and I think that Dinosaur Pile-Up have truly hit the nail on the head with the messages they were trying to explore.
Celebrity Mansions is released on 7 June 2019 via Parlophone Records.
