Album Review: DD Dumbo - Utopia Defeated

There seems to be a lot of tinkering that still occurs in the Victorian Goldfields.

While Jimmy Snaggletooth and his mining buddies from the 1850s might have long since perished amid the rough landscapes that surround Castlemaine, Oliver Perry - aka DD Dumbo - is picking up the slack. The tinkering that appears at the start of Walrus, the opening track of Utopia Defeated, drives its eccentric and kinetic sound.

Recorded in London yet delivered with an undeniable antipodean exuberance, Perry worked for months with producer/engineer Fabian Prynn to capture the many layers that goes into a DD Dumbo song.

While his voice occasionally veers into the territory of Ezra Koenig, Chet Faker or even Sting, such as on lead single Satan, it at all times remains captivating. What's more, he is not afraid to take risks on the record, with a resultant highlight being the acoustic, City & Colour-esque Toxic City.

Still, even in slower moments, there are glimmers of colour that appear. Oboe phrases, lines of chimes and even a recorder that makes an appearance on Brother, show that Perry is not content to deliver a straight-up pop record; the tinkering must continue until it's fully complete. And although the ethereal percussion of King Franco Picasso steers him too close to the sun, it's a small criticism against an otherwise excellent debut album. Look for more tinkerers making their way to the town they call North Northcote.