Consuming the Tangible

John Dwyer kicks off his one-man synth project Damaged Bug with a count, “1, 2…”. Who is he talking to? Is this the central mystery of Hubba Bubba, of Dwyer’s near obsessive release schedule of different projects, not to mention his nearly annual Osees release? There’s no denying the garage punk inherent in the man’s sound regardless of the configuration or or musical framework he puts himself in. And honestly, after a glut of maximalist, in-your-face rock the guy’s been putting out I find myself more and more drawn to these quieter, more…well, “subtle” is never a word I’d use with Dwyer, but less reliant on an aural assault to make its point.

Opening with “Gloves For Garbage” the music feels like it could have been an Osees track: the driving drums, repeated bass lines on synth married with stabbing chords and a whistling melody laying out the theme after Dwyer’s typically dirty, glitchy lyrics. There’s an aura of grime over all it and follow-up “Rope Burn” leaving me at a loss for distinction unless I’m really listening closely.

That’s not problem with “Eggs At Night” which might be the first real standout track, due in part to the throbbing line that opens it. But the overall vibe is one of grungy, late night restlessness, of tentative overtures to embrace a mood I don’t quite connect to. When it gets too dour and maudlin like on the title track, I get distracted; when the liveliness kicks on on something like “Sic Bay Surprise” I’m drawn back in. It’s all of a piece with Dwyer’s musical output, but the variation and experimentation present as Dwyer finds his sound gets a little too much for me in the long run.

Which is an interesting notion to think about: how much rope do you give an artist? Truth be told I’m not the largest Damaged Bug fan, but Castle Face was having a sale on the early vinyl record stock and I grabbed what I was missing for a song. Hubba Bubba is fine, but I don’t know if this is something I’ll be returning to a lot.